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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. last — final
  3. hand — in cards
  4. cap — of ice
  5. firm — decided
  6. staff — employees
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. last — to go on
  9. board — a committee
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. board — to get on
  12. hand — help
  13. staff — employees
  14. firm — steady
  15. cap — a lid
  16. staff — a stick
  17. last — finally
  18. firm — a company
  19. rush — hurry
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cap — a hat

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