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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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 confront
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. wound — an injury
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wound — an injury
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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