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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. board — a committee
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bat — the animal
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. charge — in control
  10. tear — to rip
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. board — to get on
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. tear — from crying
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. charge — a price
  20. charge — electricity
  21. hand — in cards
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. tear — from crying
  24. content — happy

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