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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.

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: clip · date · lean · rash · calf · patient · bark · plane

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lean — to bend
  5. clip — to cut
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. rash — hasty
  9. clip — for paper
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. clip — a video
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bark — to shout
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rash — a series
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. date — the fruit
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. plane — a tool

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