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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. face — to confront
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bulb — for light
  5. lie — to recline
  6. can — a tin
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to point toward
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bark — to shout
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. can — a tin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. lie — an untruth

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