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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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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: temple · can · file · roll · fine · bay

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. roll — a list
  3. can — to be able to
  4. roll — a cake
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. can — a tin
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. can — a tin
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fine — all right
  18. roll — on a roll

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