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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: bark · rest · march · stick · degree · lie · firm · board

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. degree — temperature
  3. bark — to shout
  4. march — music
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. lie — to recline
  10. march — the month
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rest — a break
  13. firm — a company
  14. rest — what's left
  15. firm — steady
  16. march — the month
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. firm — decided
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. board — a committee
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lie — an untruth

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