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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. root — the cause
  6. staff — employees
  7. root — of a plant
  8. last — final
  9. file — a line of people
  10. suit — to fit
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. suit — clothes
  14. staff — employees
  15. last — to go on
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. last — finally
  18. suit — in cards
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. root — of a word
  23. staff — a stick
  24. file — a document

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