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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lean — thin
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. spring — a coil
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. lean — to bend
  12. can — a tin
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. spring — the season
  20. can — to be able to
  21. bark — to shout
  22. can — a tin
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. spring — of water

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