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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: nail · deal · temple · bark · chest · ball · stick · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bark — to shout
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — to handle
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chest — of your body
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chest — of your body
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. chest — a box

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