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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: pass · craft · leaves · bark · wind · lie · fall · root

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. wind — moving air
  9. pass — a permit
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. craft — boats
  16. craft — a skill
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. root — of a plant
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. root — the cause
  22. wind — moving air
  23. root — of a word
  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