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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. stand — to bear
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — to shout
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. tube — the underground
  18. tube — a container
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. stem — to come from
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bark — of a tree

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