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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 116 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  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. object — to protest
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. object — an aim
  6. rest — what's left
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. object — a thing
  9. stock — goods
  10. stock — shares
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bark — to shout
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rest — a break
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. board — to get on
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. board — a committee
  22. kick — in football
  23. wake — a trail
  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