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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: temple · file · bark · wave · key · season · scale · rash

  1. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. file — a tool
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. season — in sport
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. key — the most important part
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. season — of the year
  20. rash — hasty
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. rash — a series
  24. scale — for weighing

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