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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: stem · prune · bear · firm · bound · wake · chair · bark

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. prune — to trim
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. firm — decided
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stem — to come from
  7. prune — to trim
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. bound — tied together
  12. firm — steady
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. firm — a company
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stem — a stem cell

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