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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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468
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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. pitch — completely
  6. spring — a coil
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. spring — the season
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spring — of water
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pass — a permit
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bark — to shout
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lash — to lash out

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