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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: toast · bat · bark · pit · bound · face · march · fan

  1. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bound — obliged
  5. face — part of the head
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bound — certain
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pit — in a race
  13. march — music
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. march — the month
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. bat — the animal
  18. toast — bread
  19. march — the month
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pit — a hole
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. face — to confront

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