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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bark — to shout
  4. ground — a position
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. board — a committee
  8. hand — in cards
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. hand — help
  13. ground — the earth
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — to get on
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. prune — to trim
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bound — obliged
  20. ground — crushed
  21. bound — certain
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bound — tied together
  24. hand — part of the body

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