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

Word bank: march · cue · sharp · firm · tear · lean · board · bark

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. lean — thin
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. firm — a company
  6. march — the month
  7. cue — a hint
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. cue — a signal
  10. firm — steady
  11. board — to get on
  12. board — a committee
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lean — to bend
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. tear — to rip
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. sharp — clever
  19. march — music
  20. tear — from crying
  21. firm — decided
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cue — for pool

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