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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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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: chest · bear · ruler · tube · mine · temple · foot · lie

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. tube — a container
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. chest — of your body
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. lie — to recline
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bear — the animal
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bear — the animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. tube — the underground
  18. chest — a box
  19. mine — for digging
  20. chest — of your body
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. foot — the bottom

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