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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: suit · stem · club · bark · patient · wake · stick · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bark — to shout
  7. club — for dancing
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. suit — to fit
  12. press — to push
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. club — a group
  19. stem — to come from
  20. press — a publisher
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. club — for golf
  23. suit — clothes
  24. suit — in cards

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