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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 116 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: stem · patient · bark · tube · lean · mouse · stick · present

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. present — there
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. present — the time now
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. tube — the underground
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. stem — to come from
  17. lean — thin
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. tube — a container
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. present — a gift

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