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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: game · leaves · bark · trunk · fall · cue · snap · stock

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. stock — shares
  5. fall — the season
  6. game — wild animals
  7. cue — for pool
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. snap — to click
  12. stock — goods
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bark — to shout
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. fall — to drop
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. cue — a signal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bark — of a tree

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