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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. squash — the sport
  5. face — to point toward
  6. capital — a city
  7. firm — a company
  8. tube — the underground
  9. squash — to crush
  10. capital — money
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. staff — employees
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. staff — a stick
  16. bark — to shout
  17. staff — employees
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. firm — decided
  21. face — to confront
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. firm — steady
  24. face — part of the head

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