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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: squash · bark · file · sharp · root · mouse · temple · object

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bark — to shout
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. object — to protest
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. root — the cause
  10. sharp — clever
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. object — an aim
  13. squash — the sport
  14. object — a thing
  15. file — a tool
  16. file — a line of people
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. root — of a word
  19. file — a document
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. root — of a plant
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. squash — to crush

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