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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: rash · cell · root · bark · fall · stock · wake · board

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. root — of a plant
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rash — hasty
  5. board — a committee
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. root — the cause
  11. bark — to shout
  12. fall — to drop
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. rash — a series
  15. board — to get on
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. stock — shares
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stock — goods
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. cell — a phone
  22. root — of a word
  23. wake — a trail
  24. fall — the season

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