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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bark · mug · leaves · rule · stem · row · vault · bound

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. vault — a safe
  5. bound — certain
  6. row — a line
  7. bound — tied together
  8. bound — obliged
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mug — a face
  16. bark — to shout
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. mug — a cup
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. row — to paddle
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stem — of a plant

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