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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. board — to get on
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. degree — an amount
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. degree — temperature
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. lean — thin
  13. perch — the fish
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bark — to shout
  16. degree — from a university
  17. lean — to bend
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. perch — for a bird

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