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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. pop — to visit
  3. drill — the tool
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bark — to shout
  6. face — part of the head
  7. face — to confront
  8. bank — for money
  9. stem — to come from
  10. bank — of a river
  11. drill — army training
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bank — for money
  14. pop — music
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pop — soda
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. drill — a practice
  19. squash — the sport
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. safe — out of danger

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