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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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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. lean — thin
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bass — low music
  10. cue — a signal
  11. cue — for pool
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. face — to confront
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lean — to bend
  20. dip — to sink
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bass — the fish
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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