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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 · bulb · stem · tube · staff · snap · net · roll

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. staff — a stick
  3. tube — a container
  4. net — after costs
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. roll — a cake
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. net — in sport
  13. staff — employees
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. net — for catching
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. tube — the underground
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to click
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bulb — for light
  24. staff — employees

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