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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. present — the time now
  4. bark — to shout
  5. cue — for pool
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bank — for money
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. present — a gift
  11. cue — a signal
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bank — for money
  15. wake — a trail
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. cue — a hint
  18. rest — a break
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. rest — what's left
  23. present — there
  24. bank — of a river

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