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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  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. coach — a trainer
  2. shower — to wash
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. shower — rain
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. rock — a stone
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rock — music
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. object — to protest
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. snap — to click
  17. bark — to shout
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. object — a thing
  20. object — an aim
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. temple — a place of worship
  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