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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. chest — of your body
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cap — of ice
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. chest — a box
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rush — hurry
  10. hand — in cards
  11. current — electric
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cap — a hat
  21. hand — help
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. chest — of your body
  24. cap — a lid

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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