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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bark — to shout
  5. charge — in control
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. spell — magic
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stem — to come from
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. charge — electricity
  18. key — for a lock
  19. spell — a short time
  20. charge — a price
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. key — the most important part
  24. key — in music

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