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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 120 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. rule — a law
  3. spring — of water
  4. file — a line of people
  5. spring — the season
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. rule — government
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fine — all right
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. spring — a coil
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. bass — the fish
  24. fine — high quality

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