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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: lie · object · stand · bark · file · safe · spring · pound

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. stand — to bear
  8. pound — a weight
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a line of people
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. object — an aim
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. object — a thing
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. file — a tool
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. spring — a coil
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. bark — to shout

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