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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: fall · rest · shower · bay · mug · rash · bark · branch

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. fall — to drop
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bark — to shout
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. fall — the season
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. branch — a division
  11. rest — a break
  12. rash — a series
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. rest — what's left
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. mug — to rob
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. mug — a cup
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — rain
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mug — a face

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