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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bark — to shout
  3. staff — employees
  4. wake — a trail
  5. stand — to bear
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. board — a committee
  10. spring — a coil
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. spring — of water
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. staff — employees
  22. branch — a division
  23. bore — to drill
  24. spring — the season

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