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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chest — a box
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — of your body
  8. staff — employees
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. fall — the season
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. board — a committee
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. board — to get on
  24. season — in sport

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