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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: lie · fall · fork · race · stem · suit · racket · bark

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lie — to recline
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. race — the arms race
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bark — to shout
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stem — to come from
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fall — the season
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. race — humankind
  21. suit — clothes
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. race — a contest

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