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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. spell — a short time
  3. staff — a stick
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. clip — a video
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. staff — employees
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. clip — for paper
  13. cap — of ice
  14. kick — in football
  15. cap — a hat
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. spell — magic
  18. spell — letters
  19. clip — to cut
  20. stem — to come from
  21. cap — a lid
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. staff — employees
  24. ruler — a monarch

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