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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. stem — to come from
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. suit — clothes
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fine — high quality
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. suit — in cards
  16. fine — all right
  17. cap — a lid
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wax — to grow
  21. bark — to shout
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. date — the fruit

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