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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.

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: last · stock · present · root · bark · plane · staff · rush

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. last — to go on
  5. plane — a tool
  6. stock — shares
  7. staff — employees
  8. present — there
  9. staff — a stick
  10. root — of a plant
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stock — goods
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. root — of a word
  18. rush — hurry
  19. staff — employees
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. last — finally
  22. last — final
  23. root — the cause
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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