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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. branch — a division
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stock — shares
  9. plane — a tool
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stock — goods
  16. dip — to sink
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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