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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. board — a committee
  3. stock — goods
  4. track — a path
  5. stock — shares
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bound — certain
  12. wax — to grow
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. track — a song
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. bound — obliged
  20. board — to get on
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bound — tied together
  23. branch — a division
  24. hide — to keep secret

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