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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.

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: stem · bark · rock · mug · wind · wound · staff · tube

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. wound — an injury
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mug — to rob
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mug — a face
  9. staff — employees
  10. tube — a container
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. staff — employees
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rock — music
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bark — to shout
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. wind — moving air
  23. staff — a stick
  24. tube — in a tire

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