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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 116 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
468
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 · leaves · firm · rock · bark · pit · ball · clip

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. pit — a hole
  4. bark — to shout
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stem — to come from
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. clip — a video
  10. ball — a great time
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. clip — to cut
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. rock — a stone
  15. ball — a dance
  16. clip — for paper
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — a company
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. firm — steady
  24. rock — music

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