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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  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. bark — of a tree
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. can — to be able to
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. bark — to shout
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. object — a thing
  14. track — a path
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. rash — a series
  17. object — an aim
  18. track — to keep track
  19. track — a song
  20. hand — help
  21. object — to protest
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  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