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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. branch — a division
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. stem — to come from
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. squash — to crush
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. squash — the sport
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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