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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. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bound — certain
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. fall — to drop
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. fall — to drop
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. bound — obliged
  22. fall — the season
  23. bat — for baseball
  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