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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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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bark — to shout
  3. present — a gift
  4. pound — a weight
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. lie — to recline
  10. stand — to bear
  11. rule — government
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to point toward
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — a law
  20. present — the time now
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — there
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. face — to confront

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