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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — a stone
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. rock — music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. spell — magic
  12. season — in sport
  13. season — of the year
  14. mine — for digging
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. board — a committee

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