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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. face — to point toward
  6. content — happy
  7. stand — to bear
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. face — to confront
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. spring — of water
  16. spring — a coil
  17. content — the amount
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. spring — the season
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cue — for pool
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. cue — a hint

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