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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.

Make a worksheet

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: root · ruler · mine · spell · saw · temple · mug · lean

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. spell — a short time
  4. lean — thin
  5. mug — a face
  6. spell — magic
  7. mug — a cup
  8. spell — letters
  9. saw — the tool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. mug — to rob
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. root — of a word
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. root — the cause
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. root — of a plant
  24. saw — the tool

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