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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. charge — a price
  4. face — part of the head
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fine — high quality
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. fine — all right
  9. face — to point toward
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. charge — electricity
  12. deal — to handle
  13. plane — a tool
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. mug — a cup
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bark — to shout
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. charge — in control
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. mug — a face
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. face — to confront

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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