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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: saw · bark · plane · stock · hand · pass · arm · lean

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pass — a permit
  3. stock — shares
  4. bark — to shout
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. plane — a tool
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. lean — to bend
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. saw — the tool
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. lean — thin
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. hand — help
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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