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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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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 · lean · bore · kick · rule · wake · track · foot

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. rule — a law
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. foot — a measure
  5. kick — in football
  6. lean — thin
  7. rule — government
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lean — to bend
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. track — a song
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. wake — a trail
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. track — a path
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — to tire
  21. track — to keep track
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. rule — to rule out

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