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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 120 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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Word bank
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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 · wake · mark · bark · kid · ball · present · trunk

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. stem — a stem cell
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. kid — to tease
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ball — a dance
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. bark — to shout
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. mark — a grade
  15. ball — a great time
  16. present — the time now
  17. kid — child
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wake — a trail
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — there
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. mark — to pay attention

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