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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. object — an aim
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. hand — help
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. object — to protest
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. object — a thing
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. board — to get on
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. board — a committee
  20. sharp — clever
  21. bark — to shout
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. hand — in cards
  24. racket — for tennis

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