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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: lie · mug · straw · stem · bark · last · cabinet · drill

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. drill — the tool
  4. last — final
  5. mug — to rob
  6. last — finally
  7. mug — a face
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. drill — army training
  10. lie — to recline
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. last — to go on
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. stem — to come from
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mug — a cup

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