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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. bass — the fish
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. present — there
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bass — low music
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. ball — a great time
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. ball — a dance

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