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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. rock — music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. board — to get on
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. board — a committee
  9. rock — a stone
  10. bark — to shout
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. ball — a great time
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ball — a dance
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. foot — a measure
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mine — an explosive

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