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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. rest — a break
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pit — in a race
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. pit — a hole
  11. rest — what's left
  12. bark — to shout
  13. cap — a hat
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. drill — army training
  19. cap — of ice
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — the animal
  22. cap — a lid
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. temple — a place of worship

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