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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. last — final
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. mug — to rob
  5. fork — in a road
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mug — a cup
  14. last — finally
  15. mark — a grade
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bark — to shout
  20. last — to go on
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. mug — a face
  24. mark — to pay attention

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