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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pass — a permit
  6. tube — the underground
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. mug — to rob
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pit — in a race
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. stem — to come from
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. tube — a container
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. mug — a face

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