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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. hand — help
  8. pass — a permit
  9. march — music
  10. hand — in cards
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. march — the month
  15. lean — to bend
  16. face — to confront
  17. file — a tool
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — thin
  20. file — a document
  21. face — to point toward
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. face — part of the head
  24. temple — side of the head

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