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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.

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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: hide · lean · bark · temple · club · deal · date · roll

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. club — for golf
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. roll — a list
  9. date — the fruit
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bark — to shout
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. club — for dancing
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. deal — to handle
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. club — a group
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. roll — a cake
  24. date — on the calendar

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