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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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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: nail · face · racket · band · board · bark · wave · lie

  1. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. face — to confront
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. face — to point toward
  9. band — a ring
  10. bark — to shout
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. face — part of the head
  13. band — a music group
  14. board — a committee
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. lie — to recline
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. nail — for a hammer

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