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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · file · spring · calf · staff · face · bound · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. file — a tool
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. spring — a coil
  6. face — to confront
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. bound — tied together
  11. staff — employees
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. staff — employees
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. staff — a stick
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. face — to point toward
  20. plane — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bound — certain

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