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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rest · bark · arm · mug · temple · face · dip · key

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. mug — a cup
  3. rest — a break
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bark — to shout
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. key — in music
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. face — part of the head
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. dip — to sink
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. mug — to rob
  23. mug — a face
  24. arm — a part of something

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