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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. toast — bread
  4. wax — to grow
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of a king
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. court — of law
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bark — to shout
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — a measure
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. stem — to come from

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