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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: cold · foot · suit · last · lie · stem · bark · hide

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. stem — to come from
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. suit — to fit
  8. last — finally
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. suit — clothes
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cold — not warm
  19. last — final
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. cold — an illness
  22. foot — a measure
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lie — to recline

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