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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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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. fall — to drop
  4. bark — to shout
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. foot — a measure
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. tear — from crying
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. bass — low music
  15. tear — from crying
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. craft — boats
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bass — the fish
  20. tear — to rip
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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