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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. face — to point toward
  4. mug — a cup
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. branch — a division
  8. stem — to come from
  9. face — part of the head
  10. mug — to rob
  11. scale — in music
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. scale — size or range
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. face — to confront
  17. perch — the fish
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. mug — a face

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