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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bat — the animal
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. rule — a law
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. hand — help
  14. present — there
  15. board — a committee
  16. present — the time now
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. rule — government
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. present — a gift
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. hand — in cards
  24. lean — to bend

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