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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. rule — a law
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. bark — to shout
  7. rule — government
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. hand — help
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. kick — in football
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. saw — the tool
  22. board — a committee
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. jam — a tight spot

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