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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 120 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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. chest — of your body
  6. board — a committee
  7. stock — goods
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stock — shares
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chest — of your body
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. squash — to crush
  22. wake — a trail
  23. chest — a box
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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