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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. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. roll — a cake
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. band — a music group
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. roll — a list
  8. dip — to sink
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bark — to shout
  13. sharp — clever
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. face — part of the head
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. band — a ring
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. sharp — exactly

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