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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. object — to protest
  5. bark — to shout
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. cell — in biology
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cell — a phone
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. sharp — clever
  16. object — a thing
  17. staff — employees
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. object — an aim
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. staff — employees
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bark — of a tree

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