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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. present — there
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. chair — a leader
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mark — a trace
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. cell — a phone
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. present — a gift
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. present — the time now

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