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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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Word bank
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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: safe · net · bark · march · stand · kick · swing · lie

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. march — music
  3. lie — to recline
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. swing — to play on
  6. net — for catching
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bark — to shout
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. march — the month
  11. swing — music
  12. stand — to bear
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. net — in sport
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. net — after costs
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. kick — in football
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. march — the month
  23. swing — in golf
  24. lie — an untruth

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