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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: staff · mark · stick · hand · bark · face · arm · pop

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. staff — employees
  4. face — part of the head
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pop — to visit
  7. hand — help
  8. staff — employees
  9. pop — music
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. mark — a trace
  13. hand — in cards
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. face — to confront
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. staff — a stick
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pop — soda
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — to pay attention

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