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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 120 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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. bound — certain
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. last — final
  8. bound — obliged
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. deal — to handle
  13. last — to go on
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. bark — to shout
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lie — to recline
  18. last — finally
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bound — tied together
  24. rush — to hurry

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