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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
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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: kid · temple · game · lash · rush · mine · scale · tube

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. scale — in music
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mine — for digging
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. kid — child
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. tube — a container
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. rush — hurry
  21. game — a match
  22. game — wild animals
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. scale — size or range

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