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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. bark — to shout
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. prune — to trim
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mine — for digging
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. temple — a place of worship

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