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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. charge — a price
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. bulb — for light
  12. charge — in control
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. staff — employees
  18. bark — to shout
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mark — a trace
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. staff — employees
  24. charge — electricity

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