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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bark — to shout
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. mug — to rob
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pit — a hole
  12. mug — a face
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. content — happy
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. content — the amount
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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