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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. track — a path
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. net — in sport
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. face — to point toward
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. track — to keep track
  14. net — after costs
  15. date — the fruit
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. track — a song
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. face — to confront
  24. net — for catching

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