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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mouse · last · kick · bark · foot · plane · coach · land

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bark — to shout
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. kick — in football
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. land — ground
  21. land — to come down
  22. land — a country
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. kick — a thrill

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