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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: club · jam · lie · bark · bowl · roll · spell · face

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. club — for golf
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — to shout
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. club — for dancing
  8. spell — a short time
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. spell — magic
  11. face — part of the head
  12. roll — a list
  13. roll — a cake
  14. lie — to recline
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. spell — letters
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. face — to confront
  19. club — a group
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. face — to point toward

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