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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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. suit — in cards
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bulb — for light
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bulb — for light
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. suit — clothes
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cap — a hat
  16. suit — to fit
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. cap — a lid
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. mark — a grade
  23. cap — of ice
  24. dip — to dunk

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