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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bark — to shout
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cell — in biology
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fall — the season
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bulb — for light
  16. ground — the earth
  17. fall — to drop
  18. craft — boats
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cell — a phone
  23. ground — a position
  24. craft — a handicraft

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