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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. lie — to recline
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. wax — for sculpting
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chair — a leader
  16. bark — to shout
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. wax — to grow
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stem — to come from
  24. lie — an untruth

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