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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. mark — a trace
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. lie — to recline
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. cold — not warm
  10. charge — electricity
  11. charge — in control
  12. fine — all right
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. root — the cause
  15. mark — a grade
  16. root — of a word
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. charge — a price
  20. root — of a plant
  21. stem — to come from
  22. cold — an illness
  23. fine — high quality
  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