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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bore — to tire
  6. bore — to drill
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. scale — in music
  11. bark — to shout
  12. track — a song
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. stand — to bear
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. track — to keep track
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. track — a path
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. coach — a trainer

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