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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 120 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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — certain
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cap — of ice
  10. board — to get on
  11. cap — a hat
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pop — music
  14. board — a committee
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. stem — to come from
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. cap — a lid
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. pop — soda
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bark — to shout

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