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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. last — finally
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. board — to get on
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. bark — to shout
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. chair — a leader
  11. degree — temperature
  12. last — final
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. board — a committee
  16. last — to go on
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. club — a group
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — from a university

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