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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.

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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: chest · bark · wake · season · race · rock · temple · bulb

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — a trail
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. bulb — for light
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — humankind
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bark — to shout
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. chest — a box
  19. bulb — for light
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — in sport
  23. season — of the year
  24. chest — of your body

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