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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. prune — to trim
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fine — high quality
  5. prune — to trim
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. track — a path
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. fine — all right
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. track — a song
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. track — to keep track
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. bark — to shout
  24. stand — to bear

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