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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. foot — a measure
  3. suit — to fit
  4. ground — a position
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bark — to shout
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. suit — clothes
  14. suit — in cards
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. ground — the earth
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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