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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: board · wound · lie · pass · bark · wake · object · game

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — a match
  3. object — an aim
  4. wound — an injury
  5. bark — to shout
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pass — a permit
  9. board — to get on
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. lie — to recline
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. wound — an injury
  15. object — to protest
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. wake — a trail
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. object — a thing
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. board — a committee

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