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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
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: mouse · bark · temple · row · mate · lie · track · sharp

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. mate — a partner
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. track — to keep track
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. row — a line
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bark — to shout
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. track — a path
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. track — a song
  22. row — to paddle
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. lie — an untruth

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