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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bark — to shout
  3. land — to come down
  4. pit — in a race
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. face — to confront
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. land — ground
  10. fine — high quality
  11. band — a music group
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. face — to point toward
  14. land — a country
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fine — all right
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mug — a face
  19. mug — a cup
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. face — part of the head
  23. rush — hurry
  24. band — a ring

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