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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: root · fall · rush · kick · board · wake · hide · bark

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. fall — to drop
  5. kick — in football
  6. fall — the season
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bark — to shout
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fall — to drop
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. root — of a word
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. board — to get on
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. root — the cause
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. root — of a plant
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. hide — to keep secret

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