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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. rash — a series
  3. content — happy
  4. pit — a hole
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pit — in a race
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — to confront
  9. rash — hasty
  10. face — part of the head
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. content — the amount
  15. craft — boats
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bound — obliged
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. bound — tied together
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bound — certain

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