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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: rule · clip · jam · date · stick · bark · drill · stem

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — for paper
  2. drill — army training
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rule — a law
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. rule — government
  11. bark — to shout
  12. drill — a practice
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stem — to come from
  18. clip — a video
  19. clip — to cut
  20. date — the fruit
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. drill — the tool
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. stem — a stem cell

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