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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 · cap · lie · nail · suit · chest · stand · kick

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. cap — of ice
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. cap — a lid
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bark — to shout
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. chest — a box
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. suit — clothes
  19. lie — to recline
  20. chest — of your body
  21. kick — in football
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. chest — of your body

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