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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. lie — to recline
  4. file — a tool
  5. file — a line of people
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. file — a document
  11. bark — to shout
  12. board — a committee
  13. root — of a plant
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. deal — to handle
  18. root — of a word
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. board — to get on
  22. root — the cause
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — to come from

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