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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: bark · branch · wake · object · bear · last · stem · shower

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. shower — rain
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. stem — to come from
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bear — the animal
  11. object — an aim
  12. last — to go on
  13. object — a thing
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. last — final
  21. branch — a division
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. object — to protest
  24. branch — of a bank

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