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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. David sat on the ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. swing — in golf
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bark — to shout
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mate — to breed
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mate — a friend
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — to fit
  16. mate — a partner
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. swing — music

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