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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mark — a grade
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. chest — a box
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. chest — of your body
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. kid — child
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. mark — a trace
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mouse — 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