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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. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — of a tree
  2. shower — rain
  3. object — a thing
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. fine — high quality
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. object — an aim
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. bark — to shout
  14. object — to protest
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bat — the animal
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. kick — in football
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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