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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. temple — a place of worship
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. cap — a lid
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. deal — to handle
  9. bark — to shout
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. cap — a hat
  18. last — finally
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pit — in a race
  21. last — final
  22. last — to go on
  23. straw — a straw man
  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