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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rock — a stone
  4. board — to get on
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. prune — to trim
  13. bark — to shout
  14. key — the most important part
  15. board — a committee
  16. key — for a lock
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. key — in music
  20. rock — music
  21. prune — to trim
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. fall — the season
  24. nail — for a hammer

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