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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · object · bark · mate · rash · club · fall · spring

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. club — a group
  3. mate — to breed
  4. mate — a partner
  5. club — for dancing
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. fall — to drop
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. object — an aim
  12. fall — the season
  13. bark — to shout
  14. club — for golf
  15. object — to protest
  16. spring — of water
  17. rash — a series
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spring — a coil
  20. object — a thing
  21. spring — the season
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rash — hasty

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