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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 120 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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. chest — a box
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. stand — to bear
  5. branch — a division
  6. bear — the animal
  7. chest — of your body
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bass — low music
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bark — to shout
  16. board — a committee
  17. chest — of your body
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bass — the fish
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. board — to get on
  22. bear — the animal
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bear — to put up with

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