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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 116 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: bulb · pit · stem · bark · stick · staff · tear · hand

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stem — to come from
  3. staff — a stick
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. tear — to rip
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. tear — from crying
  9. bulb — for light
  10. hand — help
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hand — in cards
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pit — a hole
  23. tear — from crying
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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