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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: bark · arm · snap · leaves · ground · fall · patient · toast

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bark — to shout
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. snap — to click
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fall — the season
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ground — a position
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. fall — to drop
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. ground — crushed
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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