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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: tear · ruler · cabinet · temple · nail · lean · spring · board

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. tear — from crying
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. spring — a coil
  10. board — to get on
  11. lean — to bend
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spring — the season
  14. tear — to rip
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. lean — thin
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. tear — from crying
  19. board — a committee
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spring — of water
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. board — a flat piece

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