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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: march · bark · club · leaves · object · hide · stem · spell

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. club — for dancing
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. object — an aim
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. object — to protest
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. march — the month
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. spell — magic
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. march — music
  14. club — a group
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. club — for golf
  18. object — a thing
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. march — the month
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. stem — to come from
  24. hide — to keep secret

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