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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. board — to get on
  4. row — to paddle
  5. clip — to cut
  6. mug — a cup
  7. suit — clothes
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. mug — a face
  10. bear — the animal
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. board — a committee
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bark — to shout
  15. clip — for paper
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. suit — in cards
  18. row — a line
  19. mug — to rob
  20. clip — a video
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. suit — to fit
  24. dip — a sauce

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