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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.

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 · present · stick · hand · bark · temple · leaves · land

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. board — to get on
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. hand — help
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. present — the time now
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. present — a gift
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. land — to come down
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. bark — to shout
  17. land — a country
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. land — ground
  20. board — a committee
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. present — there
  23. hand — in cards
  24. board — a flat piece

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