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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 · cap · bark · rock · arm · leaves · snap · swing

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. rock — a stone
  3. stand — to bear
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cap — a hat
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. snap — to click
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cap — a lid
  14. swing — in golf
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. rock — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cap — of ice
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. swing — music
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. arm — part of the body

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