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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: drill · calf · bark · stem · hand · cell · plane · roll

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. roll — a list
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. drill — a practice
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cell — a phone
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bark — to shout
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. stem — to come from
  19. hand — in cards
  20. hand — help
  21. drill — army training
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. calf — a young animal

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