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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: hide · degree · ground · rock · fine · staff · plane · bark

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bark — to shout
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. staff — employees
  6. degree — temperature
  7. rock — a stone
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. fine — high quality
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. ground — a position
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. degree — from a university
  15. ground — crushed
  16. degree — an amount
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fine — all right
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rock — music
  23. staff — employees
  24. hide — animal skin

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