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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.

Make a worksheet

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: mine · mark · mug · temple · bark · pit · clip · ruler

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pit — a hole
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mug — a cup
  10. mug — to rob
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bark — to shout
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mug — a face
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. mark — a grade
  18. clip — a video
  19. pit — in a race
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. clip — to cut
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. clip — for paper

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