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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lean — to bend
  12. net — after costs
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. net — for catching
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. net — in sport
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. lean — thin

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