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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. last — final
  4. fall — the season
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fall — to drop
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bark — to shout
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fall — to drop
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. last — finally
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. last — to go on
  24. rush — hurry

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