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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · temple · fine · suit · fall · bark

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. fine — all right
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. suit — to fit
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fall — to drop
  13. bark — to shout
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. mine — for digging
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bark — of a tree

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