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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: club · stand · cap · can · lie · bark · clip · file

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. file — a line of people
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. club — for dancing
  7. club — a group
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. lie — to recline
  10. clip — for paper
  11. cap — a lid
  12. clip — a video
  13. cap — of ice
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. club — for golf
  18. clip — to cut
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. file — a tool
  21. file — a document
  22. cap — a hat
  23. can — to be able to
  24. stand — to bear

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