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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 120 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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. firm — steady
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. lie — to recline
  6. firm — a company
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. bark — to shout
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — government
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. branch — a division
  21. mine — for digging
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. rule — to rule out

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