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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. firm — decided
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bear — the animal
  7. saw — the tool
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. face — to confront
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. firm — steady
  16. firm — a company
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. dip — to sink
  19. face — to point toward
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. bark — to shout

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