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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. bark — to shout
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rest — a break
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. wake — a trail
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. cell — in biology

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