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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 120 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 · cabinet · mine · ball · temple · last · mouse · stem

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. rash — a series
  4. stem — to come from
  5. ball — a great time
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. last — to go on
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. mine — for digging
  12. ball — a dance
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rash — hasty
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. last — finally
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. last — final
  23. rash — on the skin
  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