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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 120 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bound — obliged
  7. firm — a company
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bound — certain
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bear — the animal
  13. firm — decided
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. stem — to come from
  16. cap — of ice
  17. firm — steady
  18. cap — a lid
  19. land — a country
  20. land — ground
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bark — to shout
  24. tube — a container

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