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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: pound · bark · wave · present · cap · bat · lie · stick

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — a gift
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cap — of ice
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bat — the animal
  15. cap — a hat
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. cap — a lid
  23. present — there
  24. pound — a weight

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