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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. stand — to bear
  3. march — the month
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. bark — to shout
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — a break
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. craft — boats
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. march — the month
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rest — what's left
  16. march — music
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. shower — to wash
  19. hand — help
  20. shower — rain
  21. board — to get on
  22. craft — a skill
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. board — a committee

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