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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: bark · can · rest · pop · land · stem · safe · bat

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. land — ground
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rest — a break
  14. can — a tin
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. pop — music
  18. bark — to shout
  19. land — a country
  20. land — to come down
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. pop — soda

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