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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. perch — the fish
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. firm — steady
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pass — a permit
  14. bark — to shout
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — decided
  20. can — a tin
  21. stem — to come from
  22. bat — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. leaves — of a tree

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