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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bark — to shout
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. track — to keep track
  6. fall — to drop
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bound — certain
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bound — tied together
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rule — government
  17. track — a path
  18. bound — obliged
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. track — a song
  22. rule — a law
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. drill — army training

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