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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: bark · kick · dip · wake · stem · coach · chip · toast

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. chip — for betting
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stem — to come from
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. kick — in football
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. wake — a trail
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bark — to shout
  17. chip — to eat
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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