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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. firm — decided
  5. firm — steady
  6. face — to point toward
  7. rest — a break
  8. tear — from crying
  9. rest — what's left
  10. face — part of the head
  11. tear — from crying
  12. face — to confront
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. deal — to handle
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stock — shares
  17. firm — a company
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. tear — to rip
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stock — goods
  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