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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 116 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spring — of water
  9. bore — to tire
  10. mate — a partner
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. squash — the sport
  13. spring — the season
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stem — to come from
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — to be able to
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. mate — a friend
  22. spring — a coil
  23. squash — to crush
  24. can — a tin

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