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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. wake — a trail
  9. key — for a lock
  10. lie — to recline
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. board — a committee
  14. key — the most important part
  15. ground — a position
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. ground — crushed
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. key — in music
  23. ground — the earth
  24. lie — an untruth

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