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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. present — a gift
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. fine — high quality
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. present — the time now
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. face — part of the head
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. face — to point toward
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. face — to confront
  20. present — there
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fan — a supporter

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