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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'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. drill — army training
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. drill — the tool
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. drill — a practice
  14. stem — to come from
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. mate — a partner
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. season — in sport
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. season — of the year

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