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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. land — ground
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. land — a country
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. bound — tied together
  9. fork — in a road
  10. snap — to click
  11. land — to come down
  12. face — to point toward
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. face — part of the head
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. bark — to shout
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bound — certain

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