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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. firm — decided
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. degree — an amount
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. degree — temperature
  10. drill — a practice
  11. degree — from a university
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. drill — army training
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bear — the animal
  17. lie — to recline
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bear — the animal
  20. fall — the season
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pass — a permit

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