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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. bank — of a river
  3. face — to confront
  4. bark — to shout
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. race — a contest
  7. race — the arms race
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rest — a break
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bore — to tire
  14. race — humankind
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. bore — to drill
  19. bank — for money
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. bank — for money
  24. face — to point toward

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