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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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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: land · bay · bear · rest · bowl · temple · roll · wave

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. rest — what's left
  3. roll — a list
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. rest — a break
  14. land — a country
  15. roll — a cake
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. land — ground
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. land — to come down

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