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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: deal · bark · fan · bat · lie · stem · fine · band

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bat — the animal
  5. lie — to recline
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. fine — high quality
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — to handle
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — all right
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. fan — a supporter
  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