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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 · spring · calf · foot · roll · land · bark · tube

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. roll — a list
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. foot — a measure
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. spring — of water
  15. stem — to come from
  16. roll — a cake
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. spring — the season
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. tube — a container
  23. land — to come down
  24. tube — the underground

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