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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 · nail · tube · club · dip · bark · mouse · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. tube — the underground
  4. dip — to sink
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bark — to shout
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. staff — a stick
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. staff — employees
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. tube — a container
  23. club — for dancing
  24. nail — for a hammer

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