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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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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: pound · cabinet · face · foot · bark · hide · fall · dip

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. face — to confront
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — to sink
  8. foot — a measure
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pound — a weight
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bark — to shout
  13. fall — to drop
  14. face — to point toward
  15. fall — to drop
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fall — the season
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. face — part of the head
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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