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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. lean — thin
  4. board — a committee
  5. swing — music
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. board — to get on
  12. lean — to bend
  13. swing — in golf
  14. swing — to play on
  15. spring — the season
  16. bark — to shout
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. stem — to come from
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — of water
  24. ruler — a monarch

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