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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. row — a line
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. row — to paddle
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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