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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
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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: wound · stem · rule · fine · bark · bulb · roll · wave

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rule — government
  6. bulb — for light
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. rule — a law
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fine — all right
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wound — an injury
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. roll — a list
  22. stem — to come from
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. wound — an injury

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