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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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. field — a subject
  6. staff — a stick
  7. field — farmland
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mine — for digging
  11. staff — employees
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. staff — employees
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. object — an aim
  16. rest — a break
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — to shout
  20. object — to protest
  21. bass — low music
  22. object — a thing
  23. rest — what's left
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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