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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: file · spring · lie · temple · wound · calf · bark · rash

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. spring — a coil
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bark — to shout
  6. spring — the season
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wound — an injury
  11. file — a document
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rash — a series
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wound — an injury
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. file — a line of people
  18. spring — of water
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. rash — hasty

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