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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 120 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: ruler · temple · cold · game · bulb · cap · mine · saw

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. cap — a lid
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cap — of ice
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. cold — an illness
  16. saw — the tool
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cold — not warm
  21. game — a match
  22. saw — the tool
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bulb — of a plant

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