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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 116 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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. face — part of the head
  3. face — to point toward
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. present — the time now
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. ball — a dance
  11. present — a gift
  12. bark — to shout
  13. present — there
  14. face — to confront
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — clever
  20. rash — a series
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  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