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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. bark — to shout
  7. lean — to bend
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. lean — thin
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. lean — to rest against

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