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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: saw · press · bark · bat · rash · plane · firm · pound

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. press — to push
  3. firm — decided
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. pound — a weight
  6. firm — a company
  7. saw — the tool
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rash — a series
  10. bark — to shout
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. rash — hasty
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. plane — a tool
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. firm — steady

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