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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: rock · fall · lie · snap · firm · temple · bark · row

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lie — to recline
  4. firm — decided
  5. row — a line
  6. firm — a company
  7. fall — to drop
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. row — to paddle
  13. snap — to click
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bark — to shout
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fall — to drop
  20. rock — a stone
  21. fall — the season
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rock — music

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