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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. board — to get on
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lean — to bend
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. mate — a friend
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. land — ground
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. land — a country
  13. pit — a hole
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bark — to shout
  16. land — to come down
  17. lean — thin
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. pit — in a race
  20. board — a committee
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. toast — bread

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