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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 120 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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. rash — hasty
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. snap — to click
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — for money
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bark — to shout
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pass — a permit
  17. rash — a series
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. face — to confront
  20. lie — to recline
  21. face — part of the head
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. wake — before a funeral

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