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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. date — the fruit
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. roll — a list
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. lie — to recline
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bark — to shout
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. roll — a cake
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. wave — with your hand

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