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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. stock — shares
  5. pound — a weight
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. lie — to recline
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. tear — from crying
  18. tear — to rip
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. stock — goods
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bark — to shout

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