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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. object — to protest
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. tear — to rip
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — the fruit
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. saw — the tool
  14. object — an aim
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. tear — from crying
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. saw — the tool
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stem — to come from
  24. object — a thing

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