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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
468
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: firm · tube · bark · fall · fork · nail · stem · game

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fall — the season
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. firm — steady
  7. stem — to come from
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. firm — a company
  10. fall — to drop
  11. tube — a container
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. tube — the underground
  15. fork — in a road
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. firm — decided
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. game — a match

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