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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: leaves · plane · mine · rash · bank · bark · ruler · cold

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mine — for digging
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. bank — for money
  10. rash — hasty
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. plane — a tool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. rash — a series
  15. cold — not warm
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. bank — of a river
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bank — for money
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. leaves — to go away

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