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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.

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: field · bark · bore · board · cell · spring · pass · plane

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — farmland
  6. cell — in biology
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bore — to tire
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. spring — a coil
  13. spring — of water
  14. cell — a phone
  15. board — to get on
  16. field — for sport
  17. bore — to drill
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. spring — the season
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. plane — an aircraft

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