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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 · wave · fan · degree · row · bark · toast · wound

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bark — to shout
  3. degree — an amount
  4. wound — an injury
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. board — a committee
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. row — to paddle
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. degree — temperature
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. degree — from a university
  18. toast — bread
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. board — to get on
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. row — a line
  24. wound — an injury

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