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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. rock — music
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. court — of law
  6. face — part of the head
  7. court — for sport
  8. rush — hurry
  9. court — of a king
  10. face — to confront
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rock — a stone
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. face — to point toward
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bark — to shout

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