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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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. That was ________________ to happen.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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. bark — to shout
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. foot — a measure
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bound — tied together
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. rock — music
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. bound — certain
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bound — obliged
  23. snap — to click
  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