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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. land — to come down
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bulb — for light
  7. land — a country
  8. bank — for money
  9. land — ground
  10. snap — to click
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bulb — for light
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bank — of a river
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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