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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: ruler · dip · wind · present · net · temple

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. wind — moving air
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — for catching
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. net — in sport
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. present — the time now
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. wind — moving air

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