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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. face — to confront
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. face — to point toward
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. craft — boats
  11. press — to push
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. bark — to shout
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — shares
  18. craft — a skill
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. face — part of the head
  21. press — newspapers
  22. bear — the animal
  23. press — a publisher
  24. trunk — of a car

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