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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: temple · bay · present · pound · land · bark · lie · stand

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. bark — to shout
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. land — to come down
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. present — a gift
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. present — the time now
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. lie — to recline
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. present — there
  24. land — a country

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