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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 116 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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lean — to bend
  3. tube — the underground
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. tube — a container
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. saw — the tool
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. season — in sport
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. season — of the year
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. lean — thin
  20. deal — to handle
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. season — to add flavour

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