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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: saw · arm · mine · swing · board · temple · patient · bark

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. swing — music
  9. board — a committee
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. saw — the tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. swing — in golf
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. saw — the tool
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mine — for digging
  21. board — to get on
  22. bark — to shout
  23. swing — to play on
  24. patient — a sick person

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