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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 · rest · roll · lash · tube · hide · kick · track

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. track — to keep track
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. track — a song
  5. rest — what's left
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. rest — a break
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. roll — a list
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. roll — a cake
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. track — a path
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tube — the underground
  18. kick — in football
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. rest — what's left
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. hide — to keep secret

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