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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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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: hide · pound · arm · bark · kick · stem · board · tube

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. tube — the underground
  3. stem — to come from
  4. board — a committee
  5. pound — a weight
  6. bark — to shout
  7. board — to get on
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — a container
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. board — a flat piece

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