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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. ground — a position
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. lie — to recline
  8. ground — crushed
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. board — a committee
  13. ground — the earth
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — happy
  18. board — to get on
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — to grow
  22. bark — to shout
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. wax — for sculpting

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