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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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bound — certain
  6. stem — to come from
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bound — obliged
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bark — to shout
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. row — a line
  24. stem — of a plant

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