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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: bear · ruler · bowl · temple · dip · stem · game · mine

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. dip — to sink
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bear — the animal
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. game — wild animals
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mine — for digging
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. stem — to come from
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bowl — to roll

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