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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: fork · bound · stem · object · foot · bark · cabinet · rush

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  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. object — an aim
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. fork — in a road
  9. object — to protest
  10. bound — certain
  11. foot — a measure
  12. rush — hurry
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. stem — to come from
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. object — a thing
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. foot — part of the body
  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