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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. band — a ring
  3. mine — for digging
  4. charge — electricity
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. charge — a price
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. band — a music group
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. file — a line of people
  15. charge — in control
  16. file — a tool
  17. rock — music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. file — a document
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. rock — a stone
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bass — low music

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