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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bound — obliged
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stem — to come from
  8. bark — to shout
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bound — certain
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stock — shares
  13. bound — tied together
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. cap — a hat
  21. stock — goods
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. bark — of a tree

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