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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: rush · hide · can · face · club · bark · sharp · object

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. rush — hurry
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. object — an aim
  7. face — to confront
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. can — a tin
  10. club — for golf
  11. can — to be able to
  12. club — a group
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. face — part of the head
  15. bark — to shout
  16. object — to protest
  17. sharp — clever
  18. face — to point toward
  19. object — a thing
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. can — a tin
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. sharp — with an edge

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