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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: kick · temple · file · swing · rule · rush · calf · plane

  1. The ________________ took off on time.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — an aircraft
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rule — a law
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. kick — in football
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. file — a line of people
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. file — a document
  13. file — a tool
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rule — government
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. swing — in golf
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. plane — a tool
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. swing — music

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