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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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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: mouse · stick · bark · stem · bay · staff · club · rest

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. staff — employees
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. staff — employees
  6. rest — a break
  7. staff — a stick
  8. stem — to come from
  9. club — a group
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mouse — the animal

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