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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. face — to point toward
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. face — part of the head
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. roll — a cake
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. charge — a price
  19. hand — help
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. charge — in control
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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