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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bark — to shout
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. spring — of water
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. spring — the season
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. club — for golf
  15. spring — a coil
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. content — happy
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. club — a group
  22. content — the amount
  23. mine — for digging
  24. mouse — the animal

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