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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. bark — to shout
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stem — to come from
  7. rule — government
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. lie — to recline
  21. rule — a law
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. stem — a stem cell

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