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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. firm — decided
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. face — to confront
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. face — part of the head
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. lean — to bend
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. clip — to cut
  13. clip — a video
  14. face — to point toward
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. clip — for paper
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. firm — a company
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. deal — to handle
  22. firm — steady
  23. lean — thin
  24. toast — bread

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