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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  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. bark — to shout
  3. root — of a plant
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. root — of a word
  11. swing — in golf
  12. staff — a stick
  13. rush — hurry
  14. swing — to play on
  15. staff — employees
  16. wound — an injury
  17. swing — music
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. wound — an injury
  21. staff — employees
  22. root — the cause
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. bark — of a tree

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