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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. march — the month
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. stand — to bear
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bark — to shout
  16. march — the month
  17. scale — in music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. scale — size or range
  21. march — music
  22. mate — to breed
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. mate — a partner

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