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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bark — to shout
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. board — a committee
  7. bank — for money
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bank — for money
  10. rash — a series
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. wound — an injury
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. board — to get on
  23. rash — hasty
  24. board — a flat piece

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