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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. chest — a box
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stand — to bear
  8. chest — of your body
  9. last — finally
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chest — of your body
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. race — a contest
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. sharp — clever
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. last — to go on
  19. race — humankind
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bark — to shout
  23. last — final
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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