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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. mate — a friend
  4. stem — to come from
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. cap — a lid
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mate — to breed
  19. cap — of ice
  20. mate — a partner
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rush — hurry

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