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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. rest — a break
  3. drill — a practice
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bound — certain
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. cold — an illness
  11. rest — what's left
  12. face — part of the head
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. drill — army training
  15. cold — not warm
  16. drill — the tool
  17. face — to confront
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. rush — hurry

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