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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · rest · temple · bark · fan · lean · wound · bowl

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wound — an injury
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. wound — an injury
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rest — a break
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. lean — to bend
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lean — thin

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