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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. craft — a skill
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. saw — the tool
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stand — to bear
  15. saw — the tool
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — in music
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. craft — boats
  22. scale — size or range
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. dip — to sink

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