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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
468
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 · patient · mine · track · temple · lash · rule · roll

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. roll — a cake
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. bark — to shout
  7. track — to keep track
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mine — for digging
  10. rule — a law
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rule — government
  16. track — a song
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. roll — a list
  22. track — a path
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. temple — a place of worship

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