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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. lie — to recline
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. wound — an injury
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. can — to be able to
  11. can — a tin
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. stock — goods
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. chip — to eat
  17. chip — for betting
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wound — an injury
  20. firm — a company
  21. stock — shares
  22. firm — decided
  23. can — a tin
  24. bark — to shout

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