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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cue — a hint
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. chest — of your body
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chest — of your body
  11. board — to get on
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wind — moving air
  16. bear — the animal
  17. wind — moving air
  18. stem — to come from
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. board — a committee
  21. chest — a box
  22. cue — a signal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bear — to put up with

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