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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. object — a thing
  4. deal — to handle
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bark — to shout
  10. current — electric
  11. track — a song
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. track — a path
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cap — a hat
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. object — to protest
  18. track — to keep track
  19. object — an aim
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. current — of water
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. current — happening now
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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