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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: arm · firm · leaves · hide · tear · board · bark · club

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bark — to shout
  3. board — a committee
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. club — a group
  7. tear — to rip
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. firm — steady
  10. club — for dancing
  11. tear — from crying
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. firm — a company
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. tear — from crying
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. club — for golf
  21. firm — decided
  22. board — to get on
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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