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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. mate — a partner
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. chip — to eat
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. lean — thin
  12. foot — a measure
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. lean — to bend
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. chip — for betting
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. bark — to shout
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. mate — to breed
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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