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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: bark · file · bay · lie · temple · drill · rush · rest

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. file — a tool
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. rest — what's left
  5. drill — army training
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. lie — to recline
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. drill — the tool
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. file — a document
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. drill — a practice
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rest — a break
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bark — to shout
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rest — what's left

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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