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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rash · plane · coach · rest · staff · file · roll · bark

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. file — a tool
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. staff — employees
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. staff — a stick
  9. file — a document
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. file — a line of people
  13. rash — hasty
  14. staff — employees
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. rash — a series
  18. bark — to shout
  19. rest — a break
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. plane — a tool
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com