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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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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: bark · dip · pop · stick · face · object · rock · hand

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. face — to point toward
  3. face — to confront
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pop — to visit
  7. bark — to shout
  8. face — part of the head
  9. hand — in cards
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. hand — help
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. object — an aim
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — soda
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. dip — to sink
  23. object — to protest
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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