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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 120 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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. stem — to come from
  3. suit — to fit
  4. bark — to shout
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. firm — decided
  7. pop — music
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. firm — a company
  10. pop — to visit
  11. lie — to recline
  12. pop — soda
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. swing — in golf
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. swing — to play on
  17. swing — music
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. capital — money
  21. firm — steady
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. capital — a city
  24. suit — in cards

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