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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: temple · rush · bark · mate · pit · band · saw · dip

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mate — a friend
  9. saw — the tool
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. band — a ring
  12. mate — to breed
  13. bark — to shout
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. saw — the tool
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. band — a music group
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pit — a hole
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. pit — in a race

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