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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. face — to confront
  5. date — the fruit
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. face — to point toward
  8. roll — a cake
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. face — part of the head
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. rush — hurry
  14. current — happening now
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. key — for a lock
  18. roll — a list
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. key — in music
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. key — the most important part
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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