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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: lie · spring · stand · rule · wake · file · foot · bark

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. file — a tool
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. spring — a coil
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. spring — the season
  9. file — a line of people
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bark — to shout
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. spring — of water
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. stand — to bear
  23. file — a document
  24. rule — government

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