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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 120 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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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: stick · file · bark · rest · bore · mate · temple · deal

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. mate — a friend
  3. deal — to handle
  4. file — a line of people
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. file — a tool
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. mate — a partner
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mate — to breed
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rest — a break
  17. bore — to drill
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. bore — to tire
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rest — what's left
  24. file — a document

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