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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. face — to confront
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. face — to point toward
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. scale — size or range
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. face — part of the head
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. scale — in music
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lie — to recline

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