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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: wind · saw · charge · fall · board · staff · game · bark

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bark — to shout
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. game — wild animals
  8. wind — moving air
  9. board — a committee
  10. fall — to drop
  11. saw — the tool
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. charge — in control
  14. wind — moving air
  15. staff — employees
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. charge — electricity
  18. charge — a price
  19. staff — employees
  20. staff — a stick
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. game — a match
  24. fall — the season

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