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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. suit — clothes
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stem — to come from
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — for digging
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — to grow
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bat — the animal
  21. bark — to shout
  22. suit — to fit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. mouse — for a computer

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