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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. snap — to click
  3. craft — boats
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bark — to shout
  6. can — a tin
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. firm — a company
  12. firm — steady
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. can — a tin
  15. firm — decided
  16. lie — to recline
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stand — to bear
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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