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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. mine — for digging
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. hand — help
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. field — a subject
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. date — the fruit
  19. field — for sport
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. bark — to shout
  24. field — farmland

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