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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: mark · safe · deal · march · rest · stem · bark · toast

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mark — a grade
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. rest — what's left
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. march — the month
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. march — the month
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mark — a trace
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. deal — to handle
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. march — music
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. rest — a break
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. stem — to come from

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