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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. snap — to click
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pit — a hole
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — in a race
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. face — to confront
  15. fall — the season
  16. bark — to shout
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. fall — to drop
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. nail — for a hammer

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