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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. tube — the underground
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. wound — an injury
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ball — a dance
  10. stock — shares
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — humankind
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. mug — a face
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. tube — a container
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. bark — to shout
  23. stock — goods
  24. mug — to rob

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