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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: foot · drill · temple · bear · track · rest

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. track — a path
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. track — a song
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. rest — a break
  12. drill — a practice
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. drill — army training
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rest — what's left
  18. track — to keep track

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