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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. staff — employees
  5. staff — employees
  6. can — a tin
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. race — humankind
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. race — a contest
  12. bark — to shout
  13. race — the arms race
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. staff — a stick
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. can — to be able to
  20. craft — a skill
  21. can — a tin
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. craft — boats
  24. face — part of the head

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