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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. wake — a trail
  5. charge — a price
  6. staff — employees
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. charge — electricity
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. bark — to shout
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rock — music
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. pit — a hole
  23. charge — in control
  24. ruler — a monarch

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