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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. face — part of the head
  3. cue — a signal
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bark — to shout
  7. cue — for pool
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. rock — a stone
  11. wound — an injury
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. face — to point toward
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rock — music
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. cue — a hint
  21. board — to get on
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. face — to confront
  24. wound — an injury

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