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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  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. board — to get on
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. rule — government
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — to shout
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. prune — to trim
  8. band — a ring
  9. prune — to trim
  10. field — a subject
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. cap — a hat
  14. field — for sport
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. band — a music group
  19. lie — to recline
  20. cap — a lid
  21. field — farmland
  22. board — a committee
  23. cap — of ice
  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