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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. face — to confront
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — in music
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. spell — magic
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. face — part of the head
  10. craft — boats
  11. spell — letters
  12. content — happy
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. content — the amount
  18. spell — a short time
  19. key — for a lock
  20. craft — a skill
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bark — to shout
  23. face — to point toward
  24. wave — with your hand

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