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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. rest — a break
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rest — what's left
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. bark — to shout
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. board — a committee
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stock — shares
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. present — the time now
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. branch — a division
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. present — there
  23. stock — goods
  24. board — to get on

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