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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. club — a group
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. club — for golf
  8. roll — a list
  9. march — music
  10. rush — hurry
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. fall — to drop
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fall — the season
  15. march — the month
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. fall — to drop
  20. club — for dancing
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — to shout
  24. march — the month

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