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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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. board — to get on
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bark — to shout
  7. face — part of the head
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. face — to point toward
  15. sharp — clever
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. board — a committee
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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