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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 120 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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bark — to shout
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. firm — a company
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. firm — decided
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. plane — a tool
  17. stem — to come from
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. lean — thin
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. firm — steady

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