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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 120 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: temple · row · net · leaves · club · cap · bark · lie

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  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. leaves — lets stay
  2. bark — to shout
  3. net — after costs
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. cap — of ice
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. net — in sport
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. club — for golf
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. club — for dancing
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. lie — to recline
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. club — a group
  23. net — for catching
  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