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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. spring — of water
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. spring — the season
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. deal — to handle
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mate — a friend
  11. spring — a coil
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mate — to breed
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bark — to shout

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