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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. can — a tin
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. can — to be able to
  5. shower — to wash
  6. mark — a grade
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. season — of the year
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. mark — a trace
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bark — to shout
  18. season — in sport
  19. stem — to come from
  20. shower — rain
  21. can — a tin
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. mark — to pay attention

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