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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. bore — to drill
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bore — to tire
  7. scale — size or range
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. firm — steady
  10. stem — to come from
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — decided
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. scale — in music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. branch — a division
  20. cell — a phone
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. cell — in biology
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. branch — of a tree

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