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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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. bark — to shout
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. mate — to breed
  6. fine — high quality
  7. present — there
  8. mate — a partner
  9. chest — a box
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mate — a friend
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. chest — of your body
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. chest — of your body
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. fine — all right
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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