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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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rock — a stone
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. sharp — clever
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. squash — to crush
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. squash — the sport
  19. saw — the tool
  20. press — newspapers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — to push
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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