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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. face — part of the head
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. lean — thin
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. face — to point toward
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. face — to confront
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. dip — to sink
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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