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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. squash — the sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. march — the month
  6. drill — army training
  7. staff — employees
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. march — the month
  14. dip — to sink
  15. staff — a stick
  16. march — music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. drill — a practice
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. squash — to crush
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. drill — the tool
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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