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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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lean — to bend
  3. band — a music group
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. saw — the tool
  6. staff — employees
  7. saw — the tool
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. firm — decided
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lean — thin
  13. firm — a company
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. band — a ring
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. bark — to shout
  22. staff — a stick
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. staff — employees

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