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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. mark — a grade
  4. dip — to sink
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. suit — to fit
  8. drill — a practice
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. drill — the tool
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wound — an injury
  17. wound — an injury
  18. drill — army training
  19. bark — to shout
  20. suit — clothes
  21. face — to point toward
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mark — a trace

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