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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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468
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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. band — a ring
  3. rash — a series
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rule — a law
  9. cell — a phone
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. root — the cause
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. cell — in biology
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. rash — hasty
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. rule — government
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. root — of a word
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. root — of a plant

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