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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. wind — moving air
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. present — there
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. present — a gift
  10. march — the month
  11. wind — moving air
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. mug — a face
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mug — a cup
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. march — the month
  20. mug — to rob
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. dip — to sink
  23. present — the time now
  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