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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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. mine — for digging
  3. bat — the animal
  4. swing — in golf
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. bark — to shout
  9. swing — to play on
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. swing — music
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mine — belonging to me

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