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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ball — a great time
  11. present — the time now
  12. present — there
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. deal — to handle
  16. bark — to shout
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. present — a gift
  23. toast — bread
  24. deal — a big deal

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