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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. saw — the tool
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. board — to get on
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chip — to eat
  22. board — a committee
  23. cell — in biology
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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