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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: stick · bound · mark · lie · staff · stem · land · bark

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. bound — tied together
  3. lie — to recline
  4. land — to come down
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bark — to shout
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. staff — employees
  13. stem — to come from
  14. land — a country
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. staff — employees
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bound — certain
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. land — ground
  23. bound — obliged
  24. mark — a trace

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