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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. bark — to shout
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bat — the animal
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. board — to get on
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. swing — music
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lean — to bend
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. kick — in football
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. lean — thin

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