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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 120 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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. spring — of water
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. bark — to shout
  7. tube — a container
  8. branch — a division
  9. fork — in a road
  10. spring — the season
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. lean — thin
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. spring — a coil
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. lean — to bend
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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