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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. board — a committee
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. board — to get on
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bark — to shout
  14. snap — to click
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. bulb — for light
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bulb — for light
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. hide — animal skin

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