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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stock — shares
  4. suit — to fit
  5. spell — magic
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. face — to confront
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. board — a committee
  13. spell — a short time
  14. face — to point toward
  15. suit — clothes
  16. board — to get on
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. suit — in cards
  20. spell — letters
  21. bark — to shout
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. stock — goods

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