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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: board · last · pitcher · dip · staff · rest · plane · bark

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. last — finally
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. staff — employees
  5. dip — to sink
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. board — to get on
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. last — to go on
  10. bark — to shout
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. rest — a break
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. staff — employees
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. last — final
  19. plane — a tool
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. staff — a stick
  23. board — a committee
  24. dip — to dunk

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