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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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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: present · stem · kick · fall · cap · bowl · bark · staff

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fall — the season
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. kick — in football
  5. present — the time now
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fall — to drop
  12. staff — employees
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. present — there
  17. staff — employees
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. cap — of ice
  20. present — a gift
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. staff — a stick
  24. fall — to drop

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