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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: track · bank · rash · file · temple · last · rest · root

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  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. rash — on the skin
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a document
  5. bank — for money
  6. last — finally
  7. last — final
  8. rash — a series
  9. rest — what's left
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. track — a path
  12. file — a tool
  13. rest — a break
  14. track — a song
  15. file — a line of people
  16. root — the cause
  17. last — to go on
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rest — what's left
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bank — of a river
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  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