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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. kid — child
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. ground — crushed
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rock — music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ground — a position
  15. fall — to drop
  16. rock — a stone
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. kid — to tease
  20. fall — the season
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. plane — a tool
  24. plane — in geometry

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