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

Word bank: temple · bark · pound · cap · mouse · wind · safe · suit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — moving air
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. cap — a lid
  18. suit — to fit
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. suit — clothes
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. cap — of ice

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