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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.

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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: bore · spring · plane · march · board · stand · cap · bark

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. bore — to tire
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. spring — a coil
  6. march — music
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. board — to get on
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bore — to drill
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cap — of ice
  15. march — the month
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. cap — a hat
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. bark — to shout
  20. board — a committee
  21. plane — a tool
  22. march — the month
  23. spring — the season
  24. spring — of water

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