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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: ruler · band · mouse · temple · wound · bowl · roll · dip

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. wound — an injury
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. roll — a list
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. band — a ring
  20. band — a music group
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. dip — to sink
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. roll — a cake

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