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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. stand — to bear
  3. board — a committee
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. band — a music group
  7. pop — music
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. pop — soda
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. board — to get on
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lie — to recline
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. hand — in cards
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pop — to visit
  23. band — a ring
  24. hand — help

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