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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bark — to shout
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — a subject
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bound — certain
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. field — farmland
  13. craft — boats
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. bound — obliged
  20. bound — tied together
  21. face — part of the head
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. stem — to come from
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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