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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 dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. face — to confront
  3. net — in sport
  4. sharp — clever
  5. face — part of the head
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — in music
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. wax — to grow
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — to shout
  19. net — for catching
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. net — after costs

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