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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 120 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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cue — for pool
  3. march — music
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. cue — a hint
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chest — a box
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bark — to shout
  17. cue — a signal
  18. march — the month
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chest — of your body
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. march — the month
  24. chest — of your body

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