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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. face — part of the head
  11. spring — of water
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. face — to confront
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. rock — music
  22. face — to point toward
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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