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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 120 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. bark — to shout
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. board — a committee
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. board — to get on
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. stand — to bear
  15. shower — to wash
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. shower — rain
  18. pass — a permit
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. tear — from crying

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