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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: hand · game · bowl · ruler · lash · temple · pass · march

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. march — the month
  5. game — wild animals
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hand — in cards
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. game — a match
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. march — music
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. march — the month
  21. hand — help
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pass — a permit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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