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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 124 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. firm — steady
  3. bark — to shout
  4. staff — a stick
  5. fall — to drop
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pop — soda
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. fall — the season
  12. pop — music
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. firm — a company
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fall — to drop
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. firm — decided
  20. staff — employees
  21. plane — a tool
  22. staff — employees
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. present — there

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