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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. fall — the season
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pass — a permit
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. mark — a grade
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. mark — a trace
  17. row — to paddle
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fall — to drop
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bark — to shout
  24. temple — side of the head

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