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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: deal · object · last · bark · row · stand · plane · rest

  1. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. object — a thing
  3. last — to go on
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. last — finally
  8. stand — to bear
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. rest — what's left
  11. last — final
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. row — to paddle
  14. object — an aim
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. plane — a tool
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. deal — to handle
  21. row — a line
  22. object — to protest
  23. rest — what's left
  24. deal — an agreement

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