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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bark — to shout
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. craft — boats
  5. mug — a face
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. track — to keep track
  10. mug — a cup
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. kick — in football
  16. track — a song
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. kick — with a leg

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