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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 big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. race — a contest
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. saw — the tool
  8. lean — to bend
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a match
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. saw — the tool
  17. race — humankind
  18. lean — thin
  19. stem — to come from
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. race — the arms race
  23. fork — in a road
  24. bark — to shout

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