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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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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: fork · row · fall · bark · leaves · race · staff · ruler

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. staff — a stick
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a line
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. staff — employees
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. race — humankind
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — the season
  13. race — a contest
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. bark — to shout
  17. fork — in a road
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. staff — employees
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. fall — to drop

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