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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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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 · trunk · deal · safe · pound · march · stem · lean

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. pound — a weight
  4. march — the month
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. lean — to bend
  7. deal — to handle
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lean — thin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. march — the month
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bark — to shout
  22. march — music
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. trunk — of a car

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