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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 124 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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. fall — the season
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bear — the animal
  11. cap — of ice
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ground — a position
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. saw — the tool
  19. cap — a hat
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. ground — crushed
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. cap — a lid

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