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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: trunk · saw · patient · kid · bark · craft · board · stem

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. board — to get on
  3. kid — child
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stem — to come from
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. craft — a skill
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. craft — boats
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. board — a committee
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. kid — to tease
  24. saw — the tool

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