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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: bark · temple · rule · rash · rest · file · cap · bass

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bark — to shout
  3. file — a line of people
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rash — hasty
  6. bass — low music
  7. file — a document
  8. rest — what's left
  9. cap — a hat
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. file — a tool
  12. bass — the fish
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cap — a lid
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. rule — government
  20. rash — a series
  21. rest — a break
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. bark — of a tree

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