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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. club — for golf
  4. mug — a cup
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. deal — to handle
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mug — to rob
  10. craft — boats
  11. face — to confront
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mug — a face
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. craft — a skill
  16. fall — the season
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. club — a group
  24. bark — of a tree

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