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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. foot — a measure
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. cap — a lid
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. cap — of ice
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mark — a trace
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bound — tied together
  21. cap — a hat
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bark — to shout
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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