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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: shower · lash · board · field · object · bark · key · firm

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  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. field — farmland
  2. shower — rain
  3. board — to get on
  4. firm — a company
  5. key — in music
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. firm — decided
  10. object — to protest
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. firm — steady
  16. board — a committee
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. shower — to wash
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. field — a subject
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. field — for sport
  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