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

Word bank: race · fall · wind · bark · stick · object

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. object — a thing
  3. object — an aim
  4. race — the arms race
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fall — to drop
  7. race — a contest
  8. fall — the season
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. fall — to drop
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. race — humankind
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. object — to protest

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