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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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468
Word bank
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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  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. foot — a measure
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. shower — to wash
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. swing — music
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. dip — to sink
  16. swing — in golf
  17. pound — a weight
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. bark — to shout
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. swing — to play on
  23. dip — a sauce
  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