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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
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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 · content · rush · can · pass · tear · cabinet · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. can — a tin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. can — to be able to
  7. rush — hurry
  8. tear — from crying
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bark — to shout
  11. tear — to rip
  12. fall — the season
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pass — a permit
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. content — the amount
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. can — a tin
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. content — happy

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