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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 116 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — ground
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. land — a country
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rash — a series
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stand — to bear
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. rash — hasty
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. fall — to drop
  18. fall — the season
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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