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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. track — a song
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rash — hasty
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. staff — a stick
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bark — to shout
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rush — hurry
  19. track — to keep track
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. squash — to crush
  22. rash — a series
  23. track — a path
  24. squash — the sport

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