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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 were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mate — to breed
  4. bark — to shout
  5. scale — size or range
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. scale — in music
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mate — a friend
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bat — the animal
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. rock — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. scale — for weighing

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