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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.

Make a worksheet

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: clip · stem · bark · object · toast · hand · bear · coach

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. object — an aim
  4. clip — a video
  5. stem — to come from
  6. clip — for paper
  7. hand — in cards
  8. clip — to cut
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. hand — help
  11. object — a thing
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. object — to protest
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. bear — the animal
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. toast — bread

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