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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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. perch — the fish
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. board — a committee
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wind — moving air
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bark — to shout
  12. roll — a list
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. drill — a practice
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. board — to get on
  24. wind — to turn a key

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