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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: fall · kid · saw · chair · board · bark · nail · leaves

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. board — to get on
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. saw — the tool
  7. fall — to drop
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. fall — to drop
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. kid — child
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. board — a committee
  19. saw — the tool
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. bark — to shout
  24. leaves — lets stay

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