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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. face — to point toward
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bark — to shout
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. key — the most important part
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. key — in music
  14. can — a tin
  15. rash — a series
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. rash — hasty
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. can — to be able to
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. key — for a lock
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. face — to confront

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