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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 120 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: fall · fine · bark · fork · dip · face · bowl · hide

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. fork — in a road
  6. face — part of the head
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bark — to shout
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. fall — to drop
  17. face — to point toward
  18. face — to confront
  19. fine — all right
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. fall — the season
  22. dip — to sink
  23. fall — to drop
  24. hide — to keep secret

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