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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cabinet · bark · fall · safe · rock · hand

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fall — to drop
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. hand — help
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fall — to drop
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. hand — in cards
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. fall — the season
  18. rock — music

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