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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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. perch — for a bird
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bulb — for light
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — a division
  9. bark — to shout
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bass — low music
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bulb — for light
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bass — the fish

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