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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: stand · bark · hand · face · dip · cell · fine · jam

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bark — to shout
  3. fine — all right
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stand — to bear
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cell — a phone
  11. face — to confront
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. face — to point toward
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fine — high quality
  19. hand — help
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. face — part of the head
  24. dip — a sauce

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