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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. ball — a dance
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. bank — of a river
  6. face — to point toward
  7. last — to go on
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. last — finally
  12. bark — to shout
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bank — for money
  16. face — part of the head
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. last — final
  21. face — to confront
  22. stock — shares
  23. bank — for money
  24. stock — goods

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