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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: rush · temple · lie · kick · bark · rash · land · wake

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rash — a series
  5. land — a country
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. bark — to shout
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. land — to come down
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rush — hurry
  18. land — ground
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. lie — to recline
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lie — an untruth

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