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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 office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. content — happy
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bank — for money
  5. band — a music group
  6. rock — music
  7. content — the amount
  8. rock — a stone
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bore — to drill
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. bank — for money
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. staff — employees
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stem — to come from
  20. staff — a stick
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a ring
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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