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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: mark · prune · kick · band · board · lie · bark · cabinet

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. band — a music group
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. board — a committee
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. lie — to recline
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. prune — to trim
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. board — to get on
  19. prune — to trim
  20. kick — in football
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mark — a grade
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. kick — with a leg

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