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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. tube — the underground
  3. fine — high quality
  4. roll — a cake
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. bark — to shout
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. roll — a list
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. tube — a container
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fine — all right
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. face — to point toward
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. face — part of the head
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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