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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: fork · bark · stand · hand · bear · leaves · face · stick

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. face — to confront
  3. bear — the animal
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. bark — to shout
  6. face — to point toward
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. hand — in cards
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. fork — in a road
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. hand — help

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