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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ground — crushed
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ground — a position
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ground — the earth
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. suit — clothes
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. suit — to fit
  20. board — to get on
  21. board — a committee
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. suit — in cards

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