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

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cell — a phone
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bank — of a river
  9. cell — in biology
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — to shout
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. board — to get on
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. fall — to drop
  19. board — a committee
  20. bank — for money
  21. fall — the season
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cabinet — ministers

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