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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
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: lean · temple · bowl · rest · rule · roll · rash · game

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rule — a law
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. rash — a series
  6. rule — government
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. rest — a break
  9. lean — thin
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. game — wild animals
  13. rest — what's left
  14. game — a match
  15. roll — a cake
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. roll — a list
  23. lean — to bend
  24. rest — what's left

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