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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: temple · rush · bulb · leaves · squash · track · ruler · chip

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bulb — for light
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. track — to keep track
  11. track — a song
  12. rush — hurry
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. chip — to eat
  20. chip — for betting
  21. squash — to crush
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. track — a path
  24. rush — a thrill

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