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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: cabinet · temple · row · wake · game · dip · pass · band

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. game — a match
  3. pass — a permit
  4. dip — to sink
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a line
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. wake — a trail
  24. cabinet — ministers

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