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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: present · fall · dip · bark · file · face · wake · mug

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  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. face — part of the head
  2. present — there
  3. mug — a face
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. present — the time now
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. present — a gift
  9. wake — a trail
  10. mug — to rob
  11. face — to confront
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a document
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bark — to shout
  19. fall — the season
  20. file — a line of people
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mug — a cup
  23. dip — to dunk
  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