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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. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. rule — a law
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. perch — the fish
  7. bass — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. can — to be able to
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. kick — in football
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bass — low music
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. foot — a measure
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. kick — a thrill

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