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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bark — to shout
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. dip — to sink
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fall — the season
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fine — all right
  19. pitch — completely
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. snap — to click
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. fall — to drop

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