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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: bark · march · wake · temple · deal · craft · bat · stem

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. craft — boats
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. wake — a trail
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. march — music
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stem — to come from
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bat — the animal
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. march — the month
  21. deal — to handle
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. march — the month
  24. craft — a skill

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