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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. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. key — in music
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. march — the month
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bark — to shout
  8. key — for a lock
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rash — a series
  11. march — music
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. mark — a grade
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. march — the month
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. rash — hasty
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. perch — for a bird

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