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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rock — music
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. snap — to click
  13. rock — a stone
  14. bark — to shout
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. board — a committee
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. board — to get on
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. wave — of the sea
  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