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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. cap — a lid
  3. firm — steady
  4. bark — to shout
  5. firm — decided
  6. fall — to drop
  7. file — a document
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cap — of ice
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fall — the season
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. file — a tool
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. firm — a company
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. prune — to trim
  24. cap — a hat

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