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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: stand · march · cell · lash · lean · nail · bark · cap

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cell — in biology
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cell — a phone
  8. march — music
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. lean — thin
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. stand — to bear
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. lean — to bend
  23. bark — to shout
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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