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

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. mug — a face
  4. rash — a series
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. board — to get on
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. wake — a trail
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. perch — the fish
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mug — a cup
  23. board — a committee
  24. row — a line

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