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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. face — part of the head
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bass — low music
  5. plane — a tool
  6. bark — to shout
  7. face — to point toward
  8. kick — in football
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. saw — the tool
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bass — the fish
  15. court — for sport
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. court — of law
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. court — of a king
  21. face — to confront
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. kick — a thrill

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