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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: bowl · bear · track · temple · staff · land · tear · wave

  1. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. staff — employees
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. track — a song
  11. tear — from crying
  12. tear — to rip
  13. staff — employees
  14. tear — from crying
  15. land — ground
  16. land — a country
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bear — the animal
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. land — to come down
  21. track — to keep track
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bowl — a dish

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