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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: stand · chest · bark · snap · land · temple · mug · bore

  1. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bark — a dog's sound
  2. bore — to drill
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. land — a country
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to tire
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. mug — a face
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stand — to bear
  13. land — ground
  14. mug — a cup
  15. chest — of your body
  16. bark — to shout
  17. mug — to rob
  18. snap — to click
  19. land — to come down
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. chest — a box
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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