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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. bark — to shout
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. file — a tool
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. file — a document
  10. face — to confront
  11. branch — a division
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. face — part of the head
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. foot — a measure
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. face — to point toward
  24. file — a line of people

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