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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mug — a cup
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chest — a box
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. object — an aim
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. mug — to rob
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. object — to protest
  12. season — of the year
  13. season — in sport
  14. object — a thing
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mug — a face
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. lean — to bend
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. lean — thin
  22. chest — of your body
  23. stem — to come from
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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