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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. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. charge — electricity
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. stem — to come from
  6. tube — the underground
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bark — to shout
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. charge — a price
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. toast — bread
  14. shower — rain
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. charge — in control
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. tube — a container
  24. arm — part of the body

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