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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 116 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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — to shout
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. branch — a division
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. squash — to crush
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pass — a permit
  16. chair — a leader
  17. squash — the sport
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pass — to spend time

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