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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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. clip — to cut
  3. board — a committee
  4. clip — a video
  5. board — to get on
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. stand — to bear
  12. bound — obliged
  13. clip — for paper
  14. field — a subject
  15. field — for sport
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. bark — to shout
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. field — farmland
  21. bound — tied together
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. bound — certain
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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