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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: stem · rash · band · ruler · bark · perch · bear · roll

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. roll — a list
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. roll — a cake
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. bark — to shout
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bear — the animal
  12. rash — hasty
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. band — a music group
  15. perch — the fish
  16. band — a ring
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rash — a series
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stem — to come from

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