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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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. board — to get on
  3. rock — music
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. fall — the season
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. prune — to trim
  11. saw — the tool
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. board — a committee
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. fall — to drop
  20. prune — to trim
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. fall — to drop
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. saw — the tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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