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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: wake · stand · pop · bark · file · foot · roll · leaves

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. foot — a measure
  5. file — a tool
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pop — soda
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. roll — a cake
  12. file — a document
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. pop — to visit
  15. roll — a list
  16. file — a line of people
  17. pop — music
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wake — a trail
  21. stand — to bear
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. leaves — to go away

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