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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 120 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
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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: temple · ball · rush · rule · kid · march · squash · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rush — hurry
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. ball — a great time
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. squash — the sport
  10. march — music
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. kid — child
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. squash — to crush
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ball — a dance
  18. rule — government
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. rule — a law
  21. march — the month
  22. march — the month
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. kid — to tease

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