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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: dip · bark · mate · drill · straw · stem · bound · stand

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. drill — the tool
  3. stand — to bear
  4. drill — army training
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bound — certain
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. bark — to shout
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. dip — to sink
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bound — tied together
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mate — to breed
  18. drill — a practice
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. stem — to come from
  21. bound — obliged
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. dip — to dunk

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