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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: staff · patient · bark · cap · sharp · plane · temple · dip

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. staff — employees
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bark — to shout
  8. staff — a stick
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. sharp — clever
  13. plane — a tool
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. staff — employees
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cap — a hat

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