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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bark — to shout
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. rush — hurry
  5. march — the month
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fine — high quality
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. march — the month
  19. ball — a dance
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. march — music
  22. fine — all right
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. fine — a penalty

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