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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: hand · bore · file · court · staff · stem · leaves · bark

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. file — a line of people
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. court — of law
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stem — to come from
  8. court — of a king
  9. file — a document
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. hand — help
  15. file — a tool
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. staff — employees
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. staff — employees
  24. court — for sport

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