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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. fall — the season
  4. rash — a series
  5. chip — to eat
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bark — to shout
  9. fall — to drop
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pass — a permit
  19. chip — for betting
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. rash — hasty
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bark — of a tree
  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