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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. toast — bread
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. drill — the tool
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. drill — army training
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. stem — to come from
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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