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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 120 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
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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 · mark · wound · bore · bark · chair · ground · cabinet

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — an injury
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mark — a grade
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bore — to drill
  12. ground — a position
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bore — to tire
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. ground — the earth
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ground — crushed

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