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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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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: bark · ruler · dip · root · bat · race · plane · patient

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. plane — a tool
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. race — humankind
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. root — of a plant
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. race — the arms race
  13. race — a contest
  14. bat — the animal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. root — of a word
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. root — the cause
  24. dip — to sink

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