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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bank — for money
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stem — to come from
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. bank — for money
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. bank — of a river
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — 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