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

Word bank: staff · pit · lean · can · cold · fall · bark · toast

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. lean — thin
  6. cold — not warm
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. can — a tin
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. staff — employees
  12. toast — bread
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. pit — a hole
  15. can — a tin
  16. pit — in a race
  17. staff — a stick
  18. can — to be able to
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bark — to shout
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. cold — an illness
  24. fall — to drop

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