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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 116 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stock — shares
  3. clip — to cut
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. clip — a video
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. stock — goods
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — certain
  13. stem — to come from
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bound — tied together
  17. rock — music
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. snap — to click
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. clip — for paper

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