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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. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. pit — in a race
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fork — in a road
  8. rest — a break
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bark — to shout
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rash — hasty
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. rash — a series
  20. fall — the season
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. face — to confront
  24. straw — a straw man

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