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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.

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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: bark · fall · ruler · stem · perch · cold · key · pit

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The water is too ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fall — the season
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. cold — an illness
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fall — to drop
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cold — not warm
  20. bark — to shout
  21. key — for a lock
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. key — the most important part
  24. perch — the fish

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