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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 124 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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. bark — to shout
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. board — a committee
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. squash — the sport
  11. bulb — for light
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. board — to get on
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. land — ground
  18. suit — to fit
  19. land — a country
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. suit — clothes
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. date — the fruit
  24. suit — in cards

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