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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. season — in sport
  3. face — to confront
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. face — part of the head
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. bark — to shout
  9. ball — a great time
  10. season — of the year
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fine — all right
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wound — an injury
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. face — to point toward

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