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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. board — to get on
  6. bark — to shout
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. board — a committee
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. cold — not warm
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. cold — an illness
  20. stem — to come from
  21. last — to go on
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. date — the fruit
  24. last — final

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