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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.

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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: lean · roll · ball · bear · patient · face · jam · bark

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. bark — to shout
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. roll — a cake
  6. lean — thin
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. face — part of the head
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. lean — to bend
  11. face — to confront
  12. ball — a dance
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. ball — a great time
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. bear — the animal
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. bear — the animal

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