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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 116 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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bank — for money
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. kick — in football
  6. bank — for money
  7. drill — a practice
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — an injury
  16. drill — army training
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. drill — the tool
  20. face — to confront
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bank — of a river
  24. face — to point toward

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