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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: lash · file · temple · stand · lean · bowl · bark · content

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. content — happy
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. content — the amount
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bark — to shout
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. file — a tool
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a document
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. lash — an eyelash

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