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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 116 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: chip · net · land · bark · suit · plane · drill · leaves

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. plane — a tool
  3. chip — to eat
  4. land — a country
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. net — in sport
  8. drill — a practice
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bark — to shout
  11. land — to come down
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. net — after costs
  16. suit — to fit
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. drill — the tool
  20. net — for catching
  21. land — ground
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. drill — army training
  24. chip — for betting

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