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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. saw — the tool
  10. board — a committee
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. clip — a video
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. clip — for paper
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. lie — to recline
  20. ball — a dance
  21. board — to get on
  22. foot — a measure
  23. clip — to cut
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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