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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. squash — to crush
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. face — part of the head
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bark — to shout
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. toast — bread
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. club — a group
  14. bank — for money
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. club — for golf
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bank — of a river
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bank — for money
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. toast — the most admired

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