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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — to shout
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. mate — a friend
  8. ball — a dance
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. fall — to drop
  11. prune — to trim
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fall — the season
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. prune — to trim
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mate — a partner
  24. saw — the tool

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