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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 116 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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. track — a song
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. stock — goods
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. track — to keep track
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. stock — shares
  13. board — a committee
  14. saw — the tool
  15. lean — to bend
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. track — a path
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. lie — to recline
  21. bark — to shout
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. board — to get on
  24. lean — thin

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