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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. board — a committee
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. root — of a plant
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. board — to get on
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — the cause
  24. patient — a sick person

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