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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. fork — in a road
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rush — hurry
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fine — all right
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. scale — size or range
  24. scale — in music

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