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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: dip · scale · temple · chest · bark · nail · spell · mine

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. dip — to sink
  3. chest — a box
  4. spell — letters
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. spell — magic
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. spell — a short time
  13. scale — in music
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. chest — of your body
  18. scale — size or range
  19. bark — to shout
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bark — of a tree
  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