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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: rest · file · net · temple · rock · date · cabinet · snap

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rock — a stone
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. file — a line of people
  5. snap — to click
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — music
  8. rest — what's left
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. file — a tool
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. net — after costs
  14. rest — a break
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. file — a document
  21. date — the fruit
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. net — in sport
  24. temple — side of the head

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