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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rest — what's left
  5. rest — what's left
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cell — in biology
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rest — a break
  13. land — ground
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. face — to confront
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. cell — a phone
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. mine — for digging
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bay — a horse colour

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