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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. band — a ring
  7. file — a line of people
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. band — a music group
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — a coil
  14. spring — the season
  15. spring — of water
  16. fall — to drop
  17. file — a tool
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. file — a document
  21. fall — the season
  22. bark — to shout
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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