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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: stand · rush · bark · jam · shower · lie · clip · track

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. track — a path
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. lie — to recline
  11. rush — hurry
  12. clip — for paper
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. shower — to wash
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. track — to keep track
  20. bark — to shout
  21. shower — rain
  22. clip — to cut
  23. track — a song
  24. clip — a video

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