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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: bark · deal · date · rock · straw · face · stick · safe

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. face — part of the head
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. bark — to shout
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. date — the fruit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rock — music
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. face — to point toward
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. deal — an agreement

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