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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lie — to recline
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. bound — tied together
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bound — obliged
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rush — hurry
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. track — a path
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. track — a song
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bound — certain
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. branch — a division
  22. track — to keep track
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. rush — to hurry

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