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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: bound · snap · swing · leaves · face · bark · mug · toast

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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 — to point toward
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. swing — music
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. snap — to click
  9. bound — certain
  10. mug — a cup
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. swing — in golf
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. mug — a face
  16. bound — tied together
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. mug — to rob
  19. bound — obliged
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bark — to shout
  23. face — to confront
  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