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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: bark · coach · firm · fall · ground · lash · lie · cabinet

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. ground — a position
  4. fall — the season
  5. firm — steady
  6. lie — to recline
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. fall — to drop
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. firm — a company
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. ground — the earth
  21. firm — decided
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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