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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chest · chip · bulb · bay · rash · temple · pop · bark

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — to visit
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chip — to eat
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pop — music
  9. chest — of your body
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. rash — a series
  16. chip — for betting
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. chest — a box
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. bay — a horse colour

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