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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. sharp — clever
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bank — for money
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. face — to point toward
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. saw — the tool
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bank — of a river
  18. face — to confront
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wound — an injury
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. bank — for money
  24. lie — an untruth

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