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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
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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: field · ruler · bat · bear · cabinet · lash · temple · fan

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. field — for sport
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. field — a subject
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bear — the animal
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. field — farmland
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fan — a supporter

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