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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. ground — crushed
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ground — the earth
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fine — all right
  19. toast — bread
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. ground — a position
  22. tear — from crying
  23. tear — to rip
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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