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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 felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. bark — to shout
  4. chest — a box
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. last — finally
  10. ball — a dance
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. craft — a skill
  17. last — to go on
  18. ball — a great time
  19. board — a committee
  20. chest — of your body
  21. craft — boats
  22. last — final
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. board — to get on

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