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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cap — a hat
  9. branch — a division
  10. fall — to drop
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. shower — rain
  15. last — final
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cap — a lid
  20. last — finally
  21. shower — to wash
  22. fall — the season
  23. cap — of ice
  24. last — to go on

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