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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. shower — to wash
  3. rash — hasty
  4. firm — a company
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. shower — rain
  7. bark — to shout
  8. stand — to bear
  9. face — part of the head
  10. rash — a series
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. face — to point toward
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mine — for digging
  17. firm — decided
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. face — to confront
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. firm — steady

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