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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. row — a line
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pop — music
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. suit — clothes
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. shower — to wash
  16. march — the month
  17. bark — to shout
  18. pop — soda
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. pass — a permit
  21. shower — rain
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. march — music

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