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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stem — to come from
  3. hand — in cards
  4. tear — to rip
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. tear — from crying
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. root — the cause
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. tear — from crying
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. root — of a plant
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. craft — boats
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. craft — a skill
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. hand — help
  24. root — of a word

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