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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 120 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: ground · rest · bark · stem · wax · chair · craft · lash

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stem — to come from
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rest — what's left
  6. craft — boats
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bark — to shout
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. wax — to grow
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rest — a break
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ground — a position
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. rest — what's left
  23. craft — a skill
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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