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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. net — in sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. present — there
  13. stem — to come from
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. chair — a leader
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. net — for catching
  18. bark — to shout
  19. net — after costs
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. present — a gift
  24. present — the time now

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