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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bark — to shout
  8. tube — the underground
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. tube — a container
  14. fine — high quality
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fine — all right
  19. mate — a partner
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bark — of a tree

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