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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: lie · date · bark · cabinet · last · firm · branch · plane

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. plane — a tool
  3. branch — a division
  4. firm — decided
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. last — finally
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. date — the fruit
  11. last — final
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bark — to shout
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. last — to go on
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. firm — a company
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. firm — steady
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lie — to recline
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. lie — an untruth

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