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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mine — for digging
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. club — for dancing
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. club — a group
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. kick — in football
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. club — for golf
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mine — belonging to me

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