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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. spell — magic
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. land — ground
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. spell — letters
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — to get on
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bark — to shout
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. land — a country
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. land — to come down
  22. game — wild animals
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. game — a match

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