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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. When was this ________________ built?
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. stock — goods
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. press — to push
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. pass — a permit
  21. lie — to recline
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stock — shares
  24. pass — to spend time

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