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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cap — of ice
  4. board — to get on
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. suit — clothes
  9. cold — not warm
  10. kick — in football
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. suit — in cards
  15. cap — a lid
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cold — an illness
  19. suit — to fit
  20. board — a committee
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. tear — from crying
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bark — to shout

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