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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. face — to confront
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. degree — temperature
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. bank — for money
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. bank — for money
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. degree — an amount
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. degree — from a university
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. bank — of a river
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mine — for digging
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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