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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: drill · bark · lie · stick · board · wave · rock · branch

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. bark — to shout
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. lie — to recline
  5. board — a committee
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — a stone
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. board — to get on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rock — music
  22. branch — a division
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. branch — of a bank

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