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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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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: mouse · bark · stem · march · nail · cabinet · rush · rest

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. march — the month
  10. march — the month
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. bark — to shout
  16. march — music
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — a break
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. mouse — the animal

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