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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. scale — in music
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — of ice
  9. cap — a lid
  10. mate — a friend
  11. chest — of your body
  12. roll — a list
  13. mate — a partner
  14. scale — size or range
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cap — a hat
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. chest — of your body
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bark — to shout
  21. chest — a box
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — clothes
  24. scale — for weighing

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