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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. current — of water
  10. shower — rain
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. sharp — clever
  13. current — happening now
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. march — music
  16. current — electric
  17. march — the month
  18. shower — to wash
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — part of the head
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. march — the month

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