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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: bark · plane · rest · march · safe · object · cabinet · bat

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. march — music
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. march — the month
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. plane — a tool
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. object — a thing
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. object — to protest
  20. rest — a break
  21. object — an aim
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. march — the month
  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