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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  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. face — to point toward
  2. hand — help
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. hand — in cards
  6. rest — a break
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. bear — the animal
  9. face — to confront
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. face — part of the head
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rest — what's left
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pit — a hole
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pit — in a race
  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