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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. file — a line of people
  3. cell — a phone
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stand — to bear
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. file — a document
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — rain
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. file — a tool
  24. safe — a strongbox

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