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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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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: pass · hand · lie · bulb · bark · stand · current · can

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. current — electric
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bark — to shout
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. can — a tin
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. can — to be able to
  10. lie — to recline
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. current — happening now
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pass — a permit
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bulb — for light
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. stand — to bear
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hand — help
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. current — of water
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. can — a tin

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