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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wake — a trail
  3. fall — the season
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. fall — to drop
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pop — soda
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. pop — music
  12. kid — to tease
  13. mug — a face
  14. stem — to come from
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pop — to visit
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mug — a cup
  19. kid — child
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. fall — to drop
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mug — to rob

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