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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 116 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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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: wake · key · mark · nail · bark · board · rock · lie

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. rock — music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. lie — to recline
  7. key — the most important part
  8. bark — to shout
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. board — to get on
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. board — a committee
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rock — a stone
  19. mark — a grade
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. mark — a trace
  22. key — in music
  23. rock — to move gently
  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