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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. swing — in golf
  4. prune — to trim
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bark — to shout
  8. face — part of the head
  9. stand — to bear
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. face — to point toward
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. fall — the season
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. swing — music
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. swing — to play on
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. prune — to trim

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