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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. face — to confront
  3. mine — for digging
  4. firm — a company
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. wind — moving air
  7. firm — decided
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stand — to bear
  10. face — to point toward
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. bark — to shout
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. wind — moving air
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. firm — steady
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. squash — the sport
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. face — part of the head

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