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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 120 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: lean · rest · stem · deal · patient · bark · temple · clip

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. clip — a video
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. rest — what's left
  9. clip — for paper
  10. lean — thin
  11. rest — a break
  12. lean — to bend
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — to come from
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. clip — to cut
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rest — what's left
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. bark — to shout

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