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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 116 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: object · bat · bark · plane · fan · trunk · kick · bank

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bat — the animal
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bank — for money
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — to protest
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bark — to shout
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. bank — of a river
  22. object — a thing
  23. kick — in football
  24. fan — a supporter

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