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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. band — a music group
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bear — the animal
  11. fall — the season
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rule — a law
  19. bark — to shout
  20. band — a ring
  21. bear — the animal
  22. rule — government
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. cabinet — ministers

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