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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to confront
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bass — low music
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. cap — of ice
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. deal — to handle
  16. cap — a lid
  17. cap — a hat
  18. fine — all right
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. fine — high quality
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. bass — the fish

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