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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 had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. wound — an injury
  6. suit — in cards
  7. bound — tied together
  8. wound — an injury
  9. lean — to bend
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. bound — obliged
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bound — certain
  14. suit — to fit
  15. bark — to shout
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — a tool
  18. lean — thin
  19. suit — clothes
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. face — to confront

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