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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 120 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: can · row · rush · file · spell · bark · face · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. can — a tin
  4. file — a document
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. plane — a tool
  7. bark — to shout
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. face — to confront
  13. can — to be able to
  14. file — a line of people
  15. can — a tin
  16. spell — letters
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. row — to paddle
  19. face — part of the head
  20. rush — hurry
  21. row — a line
  22. file — a tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. face — to point toward

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