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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 120 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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. face — part of the head
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. sharp — clever
  13. band — a music group
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bark — to shout
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rash — a series
  20. rash — hasty
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. face — to confront
  23. band — a ring
  24. rash — on the skin

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