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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fall — to drop
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cap — of ice
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. fall — the season
  12. cue — a hint
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bark — to shout
  21. cap — a lid
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. cue — a signal

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