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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. lean — thin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. key — in music
  5. rest — what's left
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rest — what's left
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. bark — to shout
  10. hand — in cards
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. cap — a lid
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. hand — help
  19. key — for a lock
  20. lean — to bend
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rest — a break
  23. key — the most important part
  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