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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. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. face — part of the head
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. bark — to shout
  7. hand — help
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. board — a committee
  10. face — to confront
  11. hand — in cards
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. face — to point toward
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fall — the season
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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