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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. chip — to eat
  5. bark — to shout
  6. fall — the season
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. chip — for betting
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. bark — of a tree

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