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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. current — happening now
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — to drop
  5. court — of law
  6. current — electric
  7. bark — to shout
  8. court — of a king
  9. stem — to come from
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. rest — what's left
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. rest — what's left
  18. current — of water
  19. rest — a break
  20. fall — the season
  21. court — for sport
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stand — for spectators

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