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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  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. lie — to recline
  2. swing — to play on
  3. board — to get on
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. bark — to shout
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. swing — in golf
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cell — a phone
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. tear — to rip
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. board — a committee
  21. cell — in biology
  22. swing — music
  23. chair — a leader
  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