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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: lean · stick · safe · lie · cap · bark · last · tear

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. tear — from crying
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. cap — a hat
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lean — thin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cap — a lid
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. tear — to rip
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. last — final
  18. tear — from crying
  19. last — to go on
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cap — of ice
  22. last — finally
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bark — to shout

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