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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · staff · rush · temple · foot · squash · row · tube

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. staff — employees
  3. squash — to crush
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. staff — employees
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bark — to shout
  10. tube — the underground
  11. staff — a stick
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. foot — a measure
  14. rush — hurry
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. row — a line
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. tube — a container
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. squash — the sport

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