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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. wake — a trail
  3. hand — in cards
  4. game — a match
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bark — to shout
  8. face — part of the head
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hand — help
  15. face — to confront
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. game — wild animals
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bay — a horse colour

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