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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: stick · tube · safe · wound · craft · face · squash · bark

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. wound — an injury
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. tube — the underground
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. craft — boats
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. squash — the sport
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. wound — an injury
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bark — to shout
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. face — to point toward
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. tube — a container
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. craft — a skill
  24. squash — to crush

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