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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. branch — a division
  4. face — to confront
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lie — to recline
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. bark — to shout
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. sharp — clever

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