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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — a series
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. ground — crushed
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bark — to shout
  9. club — for golf
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rash — hasty
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. face — to point toward
  19. face — part of the head
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. face — to confront

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