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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. craft — boats
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. object — a thing
  8. craft — a skill
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. object — to protest
  11. bound — obliged
  12. chest — a box
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — certain
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. chest — of your body
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. bark — to shout
  19. object — an aim
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bark — of a tree

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