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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. squash — the sport
  11. fall — to drop
  12. fall — to drop
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. firm — decided
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. firm — a company
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. fall — the season
  24. stand — on your feet

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