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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bark — to shout
  3. face — to confront
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. face — to point toward
  7. last — to go on
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. last — final
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. ball — a dance
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. degree — an amount
  17. ball — a great time
  18. degree — from a university
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. last — finally
  21. mark — a trace
  22. face — part of the head
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mark — a grade

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