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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: bulb · rash · track · coach · roll · temple · row · file

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  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 line of people
  2. bulb — for light
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a list
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rash — hasty
  7. rash — a series
  8. track — a path
  9. file — a tool
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. row — a line
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. roll — a cake
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bulb — for light
  20. row — to paddle
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. track — a song
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  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