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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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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 · mate · bay · ruler · bark · mouse · temple · swing

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. swing — in golf
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. bark — to shout
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. swing — music
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. mate — a partner
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. temple — side of the head

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