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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stem — to come from
  5. key — in music
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. rest — a break
  13. tube — a container
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bore — to drill
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. key — for a lock
  20. rest — what's left
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bark — to shout
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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