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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. board — a committee
  5. chest — of your body
  6. drill — the tool
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bark — to shout
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bulb — for light
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. board — to get on
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. file — a line of people
  20. file — a tool
  21. chest — of your body
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. file — a document
  24. bulb — of a plant

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