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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bat — the animal
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stem — to come from
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. branch — a division
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. lash — to lash out

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