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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. face — to confront
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. firm — steady
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. track — a path
  10. saw — the tool
  11. track — to keep track
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. saw — the tool
  14. club — a group
  15. vault — a safe
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. firm — decided
  18. club — for dancing
  19. face — part of the head
  20. club — for golf
  21. firm — a company
  22. track — a song
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. face — to point toward

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