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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. club — a group
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bark — to shout
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — for golf
  13. face — to confront
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. squash — the sport
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. face — to point toward
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. face — part of the head
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — crushed
  24. temple — a place of worship

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