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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stem · stick · clip · bay · cold · bark · stand · present

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. cold — not warm
  3. present — there
  4. clip — a video
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. present — a gift
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. clip — to cut
  21. clip — for paper
  22. present — the time now
  23. stand — to bear
  24. cold — an illness

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