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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: saw · bark · cap · rush · rule · tube · mate · temple

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. cap — of ice
  4. bark — a dog's sound
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. mate — to breed
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rule — a law
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cap — a hat
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mate — a friend
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rule — government
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mate — a partner
  24. bark — of a tree

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