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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. chest — a box
  3. suit — in cards
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. board — to get on
  6. board — a committee
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — thin
  11. suit — clothes
  12. wound — an injury
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. chest — of your body
  15. suit — to fit
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mark — a grade
  18. mark — a trace
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  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