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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: cap · rush · field · temple · mouse · dip · ruler · chip

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. cap — of ice
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. field — farmland
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. field — for sport
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. field — a subject
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. chip — to eat
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — a lid
  24. ruler — for measuring

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