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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. root — of a plant
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. root — of a word
  5. board — to get on
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bark — to shout
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fall — the season
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bound — certain
  13. perch — the fish
  14. bound — obliged
  15. board — a committee
  16. root — the cause
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bound — tied together
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fall — to drop

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