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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: bear · fan · ruler · stem · bark · wave · cue · mark

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bear — the animal
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cue — for pool
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. cue — a hint
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. bark — to shout
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — a signal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mark — a grade

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