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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 · bark · plane · perch · safe · wake · net · race

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. net — in sport
  3. perch — the fish
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. drill — army training
  9. race — humankind
  10. wake — a trail
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. drill — the tool
  14. net — after costs
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. drill — a practice
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. race — the arms race
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. plane — a tool
  22. race — a contest
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. net — for catching

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