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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 120 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. cap — of ice
  3. court — of law
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. suit — clothes
  7. court — for sport
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. face — part of the head
  10. key — the most important part
  11. chest — a box
  12. face — to confront
  13. chest — of your body
  14. chest — of your body
  15. key — for a lock
  16. cap — a lid
  17. court — of a king
  18. lean — to bend
  19. lean — thin
  20. cap — a hat
  21. suit — to fit
  22. face — to point toward
  23. key — in music
  24. suit — in cards

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