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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. face — to confront
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. face — to point toward
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. dip — to sink
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. spell — letters
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spell — a short time
  14. bank — of a river
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. spell — magic
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bank — for money
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bank — for money

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