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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 116 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.

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: rock · board · cabinet · bark · stand · field · hide · wave

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. board — to get on
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. rock — music
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. stand — to bear
  8. board — a committee
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. field — a subject
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. field — farmland
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. field — for sport
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bark — to shout
  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