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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. game — a match
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. board — a committee
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. board — to get on
  9. lean — thin
  10. game — wild animals
  11. lean — to bend
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — to grow
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lean — to rest against

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