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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bark — to shout
  5. firm — a company
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. season — in sport
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. firm — steady
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. snap — to click
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. firm — decided
  18. season — of the year
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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