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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. present — there
  5. hand — in cards
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. present — a gift
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. stem — to come from
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. present — the time now
  14. foot — a measure
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — a safe
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. hand — help
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. hand — part of the body

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