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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. chip — to eat
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pit — in a race
  9. chip — for betting
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. tear — from crying
  12. rest — what's left
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — for money
  15. fall — the season
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stem — to come from
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. fall — to drop
  24. tear — to rip

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