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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bark — to shout
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mug — a face
  5. chip — to eat
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. saw — the tool
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. mug — to rob
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. saw — the tool
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — a country
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. snap — to click
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. land — ground
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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