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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — to crush
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. kid — to tease
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. pound — a weight
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. stock — goods
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. stock — shares
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. bark — to shout

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