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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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bark — to shout
  3. snap — to click
  4. rash — a series
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. firm — steady
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. face — part of the head
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. firm — decided
  18. lie — to recline
  19. face — to point toward
  20. face — to confront
  21. plane — a tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. rash — hasty

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