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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: mouse · land · pit · march · snap · bark · lie · temple

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. land — a country
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. pit — in a race
  8. snap — to click
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. land — ground
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. lie — to recline
  22. land — to come down
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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