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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. pop — soda
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. wake — a trail
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. bark — to shout
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. pop — music
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. rule — government
  17. rule — a law
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pop — to visit
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. hide — animal skin

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