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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. staff — a stick
  3. bark — to shout
  4. fall — to drop
  5. foot — a measure
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. craft — a skill
  11. fall — the season
  12. staff — employees
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. craft — boats
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. object — an aim
  17. staff — employees
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. band — a music group
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. object — to protest
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bark — of a tree

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