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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: face · stand · wake · leaves · row · bark · object · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. row — a line
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. object — to protest
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. face — to point toward
  10. stand — to bear
  11. face — to confront
  12. bark — to shout
  13. row — to paddle
  14. object — an aim
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. object — a thing
  21. wake — a trail
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. face — part of the head

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