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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. cap — a lid
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. face — to confront
  7. face — part of the head
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. spell — magic
  10. cap — of ice
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lie — to recline
  13. chair — a leader
  14. face — to point toward
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. spell — letters
  20. bark — to shout
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. cap — a hat

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