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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. mine — for digging
  3. face — part of the head
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. plane — a tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. wake — a trail
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. stock — goods
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — to confront
  20. fine — high quality
  21. bark — to shout
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. fine — all right

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