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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. bank — of a river
  3. stand — to bear
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. pit — in a race
  6. ball — a dance
  7. last — final
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. ball — a great time
  10. spell — letters
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. cap — a lid
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. spell — magic
  16. last — to go on
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. pit — a hole
  19. bank — for money
  20. last — finally
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bank — for money
  23. spell — a short time
  24. cap — of ice

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