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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.

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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: leaves · fan · bear · bowl · cold · mate · temple · ruler

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mate — a partner
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. cold — an illness
  9. mate — a friend
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bear — the animal
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mate — to breed

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