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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 · firm · stand · kid · key · board · lie · tear

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. bark — to shout
  4. board — to get on
  5. key — in music
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. kid — child
  9. lie — to recline
  10. firm — a company
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tear — to rip
  13. key — for a lock
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. stand — to bear
  16. firm — decided
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. firm — steady
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. tear — from crying
  21. key — the most important part
  22. board — a committee
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. kid — to tease

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