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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 ________________ went through the wall.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. rule — government
  23. rule — a law
  24. pit — a hole

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