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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. ground — the earth
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. cap — of ice
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cap — a hat
  9. bark — to shout
  10. ground — crushed
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. cap — a lid
  15. rash — a series
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rash — hasty
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ground — a position

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