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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: rash · temple · bark · foot · wound · racket · roll · craft

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. craft — boats
  3. bark — to shout
  4. rash — a series
  5. foot — a measure
  6. roll — a list
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. craft — a skill
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. wound — an injury
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. temple — a place of worship

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