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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · bank · leaves · deal · stem · game · bark · lie

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bank — for money
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lie — to recline
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stem — to come from
  13. bank — of a river
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. deal — to handle
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. bark — to shout
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. game — a match
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bank — for money

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