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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. present — the time now
  4. stem — to come from
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bulb — for light
  7. last — to go on
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bulb — for light
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. spell — letters
  12. last — finally
  13. present — a gift
  14. last — final
  15. suit — to fit
  16. spell — magic
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. present — there
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. suit — clothes
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. kick — in football

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