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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. rash — a series
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rash — hasty
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mine — for digging
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bark — to shout
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. club — for dancing
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. temple — a place of worship

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