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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: scale · trunk · fall · rule · object · spring · plane · bark

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rule — government
  3. scale — in music
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bark — to shout
  6. rule — a law
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — to protest
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. plane — a tool
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. fall — to drop
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. fall — to drop
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. spring — the season
  20. object — a thing
  21. scale — size or range
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. spring — of water

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