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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. prune — to trim
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. staff — employees
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. prune — to trim
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. bark — to shout
  16. staff — a stick
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. staff — employees
  20. present — a gift
  21. stem — to come from
  22. present — there
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. present — the time now

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