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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. face — part of the head
  3. fine — all right
  4. rest — what's left
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. rest — what's left
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. rest — a break
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. can — a tin
  11. fine — high quality
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. can — to be able to
  15. face — to point toward
  16. can — a tin
  17. bark — to shout
  18. face — to confront

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