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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. firm — decided
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. firm — steady
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. hand — help
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stand — to bear
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. firm — a company
  13. branch — a division
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. rock — music
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. hand — part of the body

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