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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: object · rock · chair · deal · plane · fall · wound · bark

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. object — a thing
  3. deal — to handle
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rock — a stone
  7. plane — a tool
  8. object — to protest
  9. rock — music
  10. object — an aim
  11. fall — the season
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. wound — an injury
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — to drop
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chair — a leader

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