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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. fall — to drop
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bound — tied together
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bound — certain
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pit — in a race
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. cell — in biology
  19. cell — a phone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. fall — the season
  23. bound — obliged
  24. plane — a tool

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