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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: wake · bark · plane · board · arm · dip · ground · patient

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ground — a position
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. ground — crushed
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. wake — a trail
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. board — a committee
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. board — to get on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. bark — to shout
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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