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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. board — to get on
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. stem — to come from
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. scale — in music
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. squash — the sport
  16. scale — size or range
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bark — to shout
  21. wake — a trail
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. bark — of a tree
  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