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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. season — in sport
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. bound — tied together
  5. bark — to shout
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. object — an aim
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. lean — to bend
  10. swing — music
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. object — a thing
  13. bound — certain
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bound — obliged
  16. season — of the year
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. swing — to play on
  19. lean — thin
  20. face — to point toward
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. swing — in golf
  23. face — to confront
  24. season — to add flavour

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