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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. tear — from crying
  3. face — part of the head
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. bark — to shout
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — the underground
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. can — to be able to
  17. face — to confront
  18. tear — to rip
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. tube — a container
  22. can — a tin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. face — to point toward

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