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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rule — government
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — moving air
  7. mug — a cup
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wound — an injury
  10. mug — to rob
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bank — of a river
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. wound — an injury
  18. bank — for money
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bank — for money
  21. mug — a face
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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