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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 116 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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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: firm · bark · face · wake · fork · cabinet · cold · bay

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. face — to point toward
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. fork — in a road
  8. face — part of the head
  9. cold — an illness
  10. firm — a company
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. firm — steady
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bark — to shout
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. face — to confront
  24. firm — decided

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