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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. tube — the underground
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. stand — to bear
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. face — to confront
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. lie — to recline
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. tube — a container
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bark — to shout
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. roll — a list
  24. bowl — a dish

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