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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 train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. rash — hasty
  5. spell — a short time
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. spell — magic
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. rest — what's left
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rest — a break
  13. content — happy
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. stand — to bear
  16. content — the amount
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. lie — to recline
  20. spell — letters
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. rash — a series
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rest — what's left

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