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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. kid — child
  4. kid — to tease
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. lean — to bend
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. wind — moving air
  10. lean — thin
  11. bark — to shout
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. wind — moving air
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stem — to come from

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