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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: roll · ruler · lean · saw · pop · spring · mug · temple

  1. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. saw — the tool
  3. mug — to rob
  4. roll — a cake
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mug — a face
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. lean — to bend
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pop — music
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. saw — the tool
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. roll — a list
  15. lean — thin
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. spring — a coil
  20. spring — of water
  21. pop — soda
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. pop — to visit
  24. spring — the season

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