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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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. bat — in an idiom
  4. shower — rain
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bat — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — a partner
  16. stem — to come from
  17. rest — what's left
  18. mate — to breed
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rest — a break
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rest — what's left

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