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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 116 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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cap — a hat
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. face — to point toward
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. board — a committee
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cap — of ice
  15. board — to get on
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. tear — to rip
  20. face — to confront
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cap — a lid

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