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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: staff · lean · race · temple · net · row · bowl · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. row — to paddle
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. staff — a stick
  9. lean — thin
  10. net — in sport
  11. race — the arms race
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. staff — employees
  14. bear — the animal
  15. net — after costs
  16. row — a line
  17. race — humankind
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. race — a contest
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. staff — employees
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. net — for catching
  24. temple — a place of worship

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