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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stem — to come from
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. chip — to eat
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. lean — thin
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chip — for betting
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. toast — bread
  24. lean — to bend

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