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

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. staff — a stick
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. last — final
  8. lie — to recline
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. firm — decided
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. firm — a company
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. staff — employees
  19. firm — steady
  20. staff — employees
  21. stand — to bear
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. last — to go on
  24. bark — to shout

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