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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. charge — in control
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bank — for money
  7. squash — to crush
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. charge — a price
  10. bark — to shout
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stem — to come from
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bound — certain
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. squash — the sport
  18. bound — tied together
  19. charge — electricity
  20. bound — obliged
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bank — for money
  24. stem — of a plant

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