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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: suit · cap · tear · bark · stem · can · toast · nail

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. cap — a hat
  3. tear — from crying
  4. suit — to fit
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. can — a tin
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cap — a lid
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bark — to shout
  15. can — to be able to
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — in cards
  19. tear — from crying
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. can — a tin
  22. tear — to rip
  23. toast — bread
  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