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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. toast — bread
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. rest — what's left
  6. vault — a safe
  7. board — a committee
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wind — moving air
  11. rest — a break
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. board — to get on
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rest — what's left

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