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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: mark · fall · temple · bear · kick · wave · bark · fork

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fall — to drop
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. bear — the animal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — in a road
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. kick — in football
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. fall — the season
  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