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

Word bank: wake · shower · key · ruler · kick · bark · face · last

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. wake — a trail
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. shower — rain
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. key — the most important part
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. face — part of the head
  14. key — in music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. shower — to wash
  18. face — to confront
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bark — to shout
  21. last — to go on
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. kick — in football
  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