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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: mug · firm · rule · bear · trunk · dip · hand · temple

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mug — a cup
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. firm — decided
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. firm — steady
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mug — a face
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. firm — a company
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. bear — the animal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. dip — to sink
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. hand — help
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. rule — government

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