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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. tear — to rip
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. stand — to bear
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. tear — from crying
  10. band — a ring
  11. band — a music group
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. board — a committee
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fine — high quality
  16. cell — in biology
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cell — a phone
  19. bark — to shout
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fine — all right
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. board — a flat piece

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