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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: rash · lie · face · kid · bark · suit · clip · prune

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rash — hasty
  3. suit — to fit
  4. prune — to trim
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bark — to shout
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. clip — a video
  9. clip — for paper
  10. rash — a series
  11. clip — to cut
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. kid — child
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. face — part of the head
  16. lie — to recline
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — to point toward
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. kid — to tease
  23. prune — to trim
  24. suit — in cards

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