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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bound — obliged
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. cold — an illness
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cap — a hat
  9. mark — a grade
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. cap — of ice
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bound — certain
  15. cold — not warm
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. mark — a trace
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cap — a lid

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