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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: leaves · rush · toast · object · pit · cell · bark · fall

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. rush — hurry
  3. fall — to drop
  4. toast — bread
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fall — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. object — an aim
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. object — to protest
  16. bark — to shout
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pit — a hole
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. cell — in biology
  22. cell — a phone
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. rush — a thrill

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