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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. tear — to rip
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — child
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. board — to get on
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. kid — to tease
  13. tear — from crying
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. board — a committee
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. snap — to click
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. board — a flat piece

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