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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. tear — from crying
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. pit — in a race
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. rule — a law
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rule — government
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. bark — to shout
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. tear — to rip
  20. vault — an arched ceiling
  21. vault — a safe
  22. pit — a hole
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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