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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: drill · plane · current · bark · branch · wind · rest · suit

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  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. wind — to turn a key
  2. rest — what's left
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. rest — a break
  7. wind — moving air
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. drill — army training
  10. plane — a tool
  11. suit — clothes
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. wind — moving air
  14. current — electric
  15. branch — a division
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bark — to shout
  18. suit — in cards
  19. suit — to fit
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. current — of water
  22. drill — the tool
  23. current — happening now
  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