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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. charge — in control
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. bear — the animal
  8. charge — a price
  9. firm — decided
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — a company
  13. bark — to shout
  14. face — to confront
  15. pop — soda
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pop — music
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. content — the amount
  20. bear — the animal
  21. content — happy
  22. charge — electricity
  23. pop — to visit
  24. chair — a leader

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