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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: object · bark · board · sharp · saw · clip · lie · temple

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. clip — to cut
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. board — a committee
  5. bark — to shout
  6. saw — the tool
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. lie — to recline
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. sharp — clever
  15. clip — a video
  16. object — a thing
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. board — to get on
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. object — to protest
  23. clip — for paper
  24. object — an aim

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