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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: ruler · game · fall · rash · dip · tube · temple · rest

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — a break
  9. tube — a container
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. tube — the underground
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. game — a match
  14. fall — to drop
  15. game — wild animals
  16. dip — to sink
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. fall — the season
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. fall — to drop
  22. rest — what's left
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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