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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. lie — to recline
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. snap — to click
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. last — finally
  7. bark — to shout
  8. last — to go on
  9. craft — boats
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. toast — bread
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. last — final
  22. craft — a skill
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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