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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. bass — the fish
  4. bore — to drill
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. face — to confront
  11. bass — low music
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. face — part of the head
  14. bore — to tire
  15. chip — for betting
  16. lie — to recline
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. bark — to shout
  22. content — the amount
  23. chip — to eat
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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