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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 · bear · wound · mouse · bark · bowl · degree · rush

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. degree — from a university
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. bear — the animal
  17. degree — an amount
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. wound — an injury
  23. rush — hurry
  24. degree — temperature

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