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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: wind · pound · stand · lie · bark · current · object · cell

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. pound — a weight
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cell — in biology
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. current — happening now
  10. bark — to shout
  11. object — a thing
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cell — a phone
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. object — an aim
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. current — electric
  21. object — to protest
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stand — to bear
  24. current — of water

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