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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 120 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 dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. face — part of the head
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. bark — to shout
  7. fine — all right
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. fine — high quality
  10. face — to confront
  11. mark — a grade
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. face — to point toward
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. game — a match
  17. pass — a permit
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. mark — a trace
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. game — wild animals
  24. cabinet — ministers

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