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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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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 · bark · safe · bound · hand · stick · pit · straw

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bark — to shout
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. hand — help
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bound — certain
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pit — in a race
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. bound — obliged
  21. stem — to come from
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bound — tied together
  24. hand — in cards

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