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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. can — a tin
  3. fall — the season
  4. club — for dancing
  5. mark — a grade
  6. land — a country
  7. can — to be able to
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. club — a group
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fall — to drop
  14. mark — a trace
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bark — to shout
  19. land — ground
  20. club — for golf
  21. wind — moving air
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. land — to come down
  24. calf — a young animal

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