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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · bark · jam · hide · lie · spring · plane · wind

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. wind — moving air
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. board — a committee
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. spring — the season
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. spring — a coil
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bark — to shout
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. plane — a tool
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. lie — to recline
  21. spring — of water
  22. board — to get on
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wind — moving air

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