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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rest — a break
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. board — a committee
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. board — to get on
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. rest — what's left

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