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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: leaves · mouse · tube · game · lean · temple · stick · bowl

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. tube — the underground
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. game — wild animals
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. game — a match
  16. tube — a container
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lean — to bend
  21. lean — thin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bowl — a football final

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