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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. cue — a hint
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. current — of water
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. squash — to crush
  10. firm — steady
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. firm — a company
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. cue — for pool
  15. firm — decided
  16. squash — the sport
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. cue — a signal
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. mark — a trace
  22. bark — to shout
  23. current — happening now
  24. current — electric

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