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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. sharp — clever
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bark — to shout
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rest — a break
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. mark — a grade
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bulb — for light
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bulb — for light
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. rest — what's left
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. rest — what's left

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