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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 116 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 the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bark — to shout
  14. band — a music group
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — government
  17. band — a ring
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. fall — to drop
  20. shower — rain
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. pit — in a race
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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