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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. land — ground
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bulb — for light
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. cell — in biology
  11. land — a country
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — the underground
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. land — to come down
  18. hand — in cards
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cell — a phone
  21. hand — help
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. leaves — lets stay

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