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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. tube — the underground
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. toast — bread
  5. stand — to bear
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. stem — to come from
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. tube — a container
  24. calf — a young animal

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