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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. craft — a skill
  3. stem — to come from
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. game — a match
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. object — to protest
  12. object — an aim
  13. object — a thing
  14. lean — to bend
  15. craft — boats
  16. lean — thin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cue — a hint
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bark — to shout
  23. game — wild animals
  24. stem — of a plant

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