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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: bark · clip · board · toast · kick · wound · mug · fan

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. board — to get on
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mug — a cup
  7. board — a committee
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. wound — an injury
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. clip — a video
  13. mug — to rob
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — for paper
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. kick — in football
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wound — an injury
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. bark — to shout

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