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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. plane — a tool
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a committee
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. march — the month
  9. hand — help
  10. mine — for digging
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. rock — music
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. mine — belonging to me

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