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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: lie · mug · cell · staff · firm · fall · rule · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. staff — a stick
  3. mug — a face
  4. cell — in biology
  5. fall — to drop
  6. staff — employees
  7. mug — to rob
  8. fall — to drop
  9. rule — a law
  10. staff — employees
  11. mug — a cup
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. rule — government
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — decided
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. lie — to recline
  21. firm — steady
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fall — the season
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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